Hotel evacuation reshapes Kelso weekend after Red Lion fire
Guests and employees at a hotel in Kelso, Washington, are now displaced and the area near Interstate 5 is being asked to steer clear as crews continue mop-up work. Saturday at 1: 30 p. m. ET, Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue said firefighters were sent to the Red Lion Hotel on Kelso Drive after heavy smoke was seen billowing from the building.
Red Lion Hotel remains a focus for crews as smoke affects I-5 area
The most immediate change for drivers and nearby residents is the request to avoid the area around the Red Lion Hotel while firefighters finish work at the scene. As the building burned, smoke filled the area near Interstate 5, and witnesses described seeing and smelling the smoke from nearby locations.
Officials described the firefight as stretching through Saturday afternoon and into the evening, indicating an extended emergency response. The hotel is located at 510 Kelso Drive, where fire crews arrived to find heavy smoke billowing from the side of the building.
Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue confirms evacuation and no reported injuries
For the people inside the Red Lion Hotel, the key consequence was an evacuation that was completed safely. Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue said firefighters were able to make sure all guests and employees got out, and no one has been reported hurt.
Lieutenant Bryan Ditterick said fire breaks in a hotel “of this nature” helped keep the fire from spreading. Still, the roof partially collapsed as crews worked to contain the flames.
Longview Fire Department and Clark County Fire & Rescue join 60-firefighter response
The scale of the response expanded as officials called for help from surrounding agencies, including the Longview Fire Department and Clark County Fire & Rescue. In total, 60 firefighters helped battle the two-alarm fire,.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation Saturday night. For now, the next developments hinge on what investigators determine and when officials lift the request to avoid the area; if mop-up work continues through the night, the restricted area around the Red Lion Hotel is likely to remain a focus into the next day.
