Man injured in fire at hotel
05/13/07

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — The Days Inn on Route 9 was damaged in a fire Saturday night in which at least one person suffered minor injuries, according to authorities.

One man was injured in the fire, and his hair was singed, according to Officer George Burdge, who added that the man was taken to CentraState Medical Center in the township.

A Days Inn employee, Bari Sobel of Freehold, said that about 4:45 p.m. Craig Reily, the brother of one of the hotel's co-owners, alerted employees of the fire.

"We were inside working, and Craig Reily came in, yelling, "There's a fire in the hotel,' " she said, adding that employees then left the hotel and moved their cars away from the building to avoid damage.

"There was so much smoke over here, you couldn't see," said Sobel while standing in the hotel parking lot as crews investigated the blaze just after 7 p.m.

Cara DiMattina of Howell, a bartender at the hotel, said when employees went outside they saw "billows and billows of black smoke" coming from the building.

One of the hotel's co-owners, Sal Imposimato of Waretown, said he first learned of the fire about 4:30 p.m. when he received a phone call from a friend.

Imposimato and co-owner Andy Befumo said Saturday evening they were waiting for word from the Monmouth County Prosecutor's and Fire Marshal's offices on the extent of the damage. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, according to Imposimato, and they cannot predict when the hotel will reopen for business.

"We're obviously not going to open tonight," Befumo said. "We have to secure the place, some way."

From the street, several second-floor rooms appeared to be burned out, and the roof looked to have caved in. Smoke was still coming from the building about 6:30 p.m.

Peter Warshaw, Monmouth County first assistant prosecutor, said the fire was being investigated by the Freehold Township Police Department, the Prosecutor's Office and the Monmouth County Fire Marshal.

"The investigation is focused on determining where and how the fire started," he said, declining to say whether the fire was considered of suspicious origin

Investigation into La Jolla hotel fire under way

By: North County Times wire services -

SAN DIEGO - An investigation was under way Monday into what sparked a non-injury fire that caused $3.5 million in damage at a La Jolla hotel and prompted the evacuation of more than 150 people.

The blaze at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine at 3777 La Jolla Village Drive was reported at 1:40 p.m. yesterday and knocked down 50 minutes later, said Maurice Luque of the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

Eighteen employees and 136 guests were evacuated, but nobody was hurt, he said.

The blaze erupted in the basement utility room and quickly spread up the linen shoot, Luque said.

"It got so hot between the first and second floor that the surrounding material caught fire," he said.

The fire caused an estimated $3.5 million damage, including smoke damage to the third through 16th floors, fire officials said.

Although a cause of the fire was not immediately determined, one witness told reporters that there was a smell suggestion the blaze was "electrical in nature

Fire destroys three-story hotel and bar
5/14/2007

A massive fire has destroyed the Hunter Village Inn in Greene County.

Sheriff's officials tell us there's nothing left of the three-story hotel and bar.

The fire began at around 9:30 p.m. Sunday night, and more than a half dozen fire crews were called to the scene.

Fortunately no one was hurt.

The cause of the fire is under investigation