A full force of fire trucks rushed to Ashland Springs Hotel about 7:38 p.m. Thursday when smoke was reported around elevators on upper floors — however, firefighters found no blaze, leaving battalion chief Chris Chambers speculating it was a smell generated by something like a failed motor on the elevator.
All staff and guests were evacuated and traffic was blocked off on Main Street from Pioneer to Second Streets for more than an hour while firefighters searched the roof and seventh through ninth floors of the 118-foot tall building, finding nothing, said Chambers.
“We’re still investigating. Everyone is back in the hotel,” said Chambers at 8:15. The elevators remained shut down because the smell seemed to start there, he said. “But there’s no fire. If there was, it was very transient in nature. We found no scorching.”