IDAHO FALLS — A structure fire at an under-construction hotel early Tuesday morning sparked a heavy firefighting response as the fire spread to the floor above and into a few rooms.
According to the Idaho Falls Fire Department spokeswoman Haylie Egbert, the fire was reported at 8:17 a.m. Tuesday. The fire had started in the mechanical room on the first floor of the Staybridge Suites at 780 Pioneer Road in Idaho Falls.
IFFD Battalion Chief Chet Pugmire told EastIdahoNews.com the fire extended into the ceiling, causing it to spread to the second floor. A release from IFFD states that three rooms sustained smoke damage from the fire.
The fire on the first floor also extended across the hallway directly in front of the mechanical room into another area, requiring crews to attack the blaze from multiple points inside the structure.
Officials said the building’s advanced stage of construction played a role in limiting the fire’s impact.
The hotel began construction in 2020, according to earlier reporting done by EastIdahoNews.com. The project is one of several commercial developments underway on the west side of Idaho Falls, an area that has seen steady business and residential growth in recent years.
Pugmire said that, given the construction’s near-completion, the walls had been insulated, meaning the fire posed no significant challenge.
If it had been in an earlier stage, the fire could have been more of a challenge.
Fire crews remained on scene Tuesday morning and into the afternoon to ensure all hot spots were extinguished and to begin investigating the cause of the fire. Investigators are working to determine whether the blaze was accidental or related to equipment or electrical components inside the mechanical room.
An estimation of the total damage is still being determined, and it is unclear whether the incident will delay the hotel’s anticipated opening timeline.
Despite visible smoke and flames reaching the second floor, officials said no injuries to firefighters or construction personnel were reported. Quick response times and coordinated interior operations helped prevent the fire from spreading further throughout the building.
The Idaho Falls Fire Department is expected to release additional information once the cause has been officially determined.
Originally reported by Daniel V. Ramirez, EastIdahoNews.com in East Idaho News.
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