Fire at the Cliff Inn Motel in St. George causes substantial damage, displaces residents

ST. GEORGE – Around 9 p.m. Wednesday, emergency responders answered a fire call directing them to 310 W. St. George Blvd. in St. George.

Lt. Dave Moss of the St. George Police Department said a patrol officer on St. George Boulevard was alerted to the fire at the Cliff Inn Motel and contacted police dispatch. Fire engines and ambulances arrived soon after. As the Fire Department responded to the fire, St. George Boulevard between 200 West and 400 West was blocked off, resulting in traffic being diverted.

Motel residents also evacuated the premises as fast as they could.

“I got my family the hell out,” said Dawn Tinsley, a motel resident.

Tina Fiske, the manager of the Cliff Inn Motel, said, “We saw smoke and got everybody out.”

Fiske said she had no idea what caused the blaze, but heard it may have been an electrical fire started in the motel’s laundry room.

Tinsley had been told the same thing, “They said a fire started in the laundry room area.”

Whipple was unable to answer definitively what the cause may have been. “We don’t know right now,” he said.

Only a preliminary investigation would be done Wednesday night, St. George Fire Department Capt. Jason Whipple said, adding the fire department would be engaged in a much more extensive investigation Thursday.

A rough estimate on the damages currently stands at $200,000. This estimate may go up, Whipple said, as firefighters have yet to enter the structure and inspect the internal damage.

No one was injured in the fire. However, residents of the Cliff Inn were displaced for the night. No one would be allowed to return while the firefighters mopped up the scene and conducted their investigation.

Fiske said the owner of the motel was helping put residents up for the night in another motel nearby. However, some of the residents, including Fiske herself, have pet dogs, which many motels will not allow as a matter of policy.

During the course of the fire, the shelter at the Dixie Care and Share, which sits behind the Cliff Inn, was evacuated. No damage was reported to Dixie Care and Share, though, and people were eventually able to return to the shelter.

James Fiske, Tina Fiske’s son who also works as maintenance for the motel, said he had barely replaced the motel’s fire alarms. “They work,” he said. “We heard them.”

 

 

 

 

Email: mkessler@stgnews.com

Twitter: @MoriKessler

Copyright 2012 St. George News.

About the Author

Mori Kessler serves as Assistant Editor of St. George News, having previously contributed as a writer and Interim Editor in 2010-11. He began writing news in 2009 for Today in Dixie, and joined the writing staff of St. George News in 2010. When not writing, he can be found loitering around local bookstores and libraries looking for something good to read.

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5 Comments on "Fire at the Cliff Inn Motel in St. George causes substantial damage, displaces residents"

1. 

   Murat August 2, 2012 at 10:30 am · Reply

   One of my worst nightmares is dying in a ratty motel fire.

   • 

     Kelli August 3, 2012 at 10:19 am · Reply

     Whew, thank goodness they were able to evacuate you in time. Best of luck in finding yourself a new home with low weekly rates, cable TV, and carpet!

     • 

       Murat August 3, 2012 at 12:08 pm · Reply

       It’s such an odd nightmare for me to have, since the last time I stayed in a ratty motel was over 30 years ago. Today I live in the epitome of luxury and opulence and can afford the finest hotel accommodations. And yet, on occasion, I have terrifying nightmares of being in a crappy motel with a low-rent escort and roaring flames closing in, with no way out. It’s so strange.

     • 

       Murat August 3, 2012 at 2:17 pm · Reply

       I live in the epitome of luxury and opulence. It is so strange that I have this nightmare on a recurring basis.

2. 

   M AMODT August 2, 2012 at 5:56 pm · Reply

   Kudos to the fine men (and women) of the SGFD! Thank you.

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