LFR confirms, North Lincoln hotel fire caused by improperly discarded cigarette

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – An improperly disposed of cigarette caused a chain reaction that allowed heat and smoke to get trapped behind the exterior wall of the Fairfield Hotel and Suites in North Lincoln and ultimately create an explosion.

The devastating fire forced over 30 guests to evacuate on Monday night.

Lincoln Fire and Rescue addressed the incident on Tuesday morning by giving a detailed account of all efforts involved to contain the flames.

“The entire roof space was obviously in flames,” said LFR spokeswoman MJ Lierman. “That was happening right as Lincoln Fire and Rescue was getting on scene.”

Initial crews went directly into the burning building, as LFR medical units dispersed water from the outside and above.

“We searched until we were absolutely needing to come out,” said Lierman.

“The third story was collapsing into the second story, and it was dangerous for our crews to be in there.”

The flames were first noticed by a passerby around 6:50 pm, when he alerted the hotel manager who then set off the fire alarm.

Lierman says it was a great thing since there weren’t any detectors located within the attic.

“There’s no stops due to the construction when this was built in 1993, so that smoke and smoldering went all the way up to the attic space, where there is not a stop either,” she said.

LFR confirmed that items in the hotel will most likely never be recovered.

“There’s no going in,” said Lierman. “So, they are out whatever they had in there.”

The estimated total cost of damage from the fire is $7 million.

This is an ongoing story.