An investigation is underway after a multi-alarm fire damaged part of a Somerset County hotel Monday night.
According to 911 dispatchers, multiple Somerset County departments were called to the Knights Inn, located along the 200 block of Tollgate Road, around 8:30 p.m.
On Tuesday, the hotel’s owners and several guests were left to clean up and assess the damage.
One side of the hotel looks untouched, whereas multiple rooms on the rear side of the building are completely destroyed.
Randy Frushour is one of the hotel’s long-term guests and has been staying at the Knights Inn for about four years.
“I thought, I’m in trouble here because these walls are going to go up in smoke or fire in an instant. Its all wood.”
He says last night’s fire was unlike anything he had ever experienced.
“I heard them showing up and then all the trucks and I thought ‘oh okay ill be fine’ because I could see the flames were not that high. It was just a lot of bellowing smoke and screaming going on.”
Investigators say the fire began in Room 144 and quickly spread to neighboring rooms in the rear of the property.
Frushour says the hotel owners put all impacted guests in the nearby Budget Inn as their rooms were now burnt and overwhelmed with the smell of smoke.
“There is a smoke, like I would call it a fire/smoke smell still lingering, even in my room.”
Fire officials were on scene Tuesday to assess the damage and go through the rooms that appeared to suffer the most damage.
Officials estimate that the total damage costs is approximately $150,000, and noted that the hotel is insured.
A state police fire marshal was on scene Tuesday and says it is unclear if the fire is suspicious.
Officials say they still need talk with the person who rented Room 144 and the investigation is ongoing.
No injuries were reported in the blaze.