This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
An early Friday fire of suspicious origin forced dozens of guests out of their rooms at downtown Salt Lake City's Little America Hotel.
Salt Lake City Fire Department spokesman Jasen Asay said that 32 firefighters rushed to the hotel, 500 S. Main St., at 2:49 a.m. when smoke was reported billowing from a room.
Crews evacuated affected guests — reportedly less than 100 from the first floor of the west wing — to the lobby of the Grand America Hotel, across the street, while the blaze was extinguished.
While Asay said investigators initially had deemed the circumstances of the blaze as "suspicious," the cause of the fire remained under investigation. One person was being questioned, though authorities did not initially characterize that person as a suspect.
No injuries were reported and guests were allowed to return about 4 a.m.
A damage estimate was not immediately available.
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