A two-alarm fire broke out at an Olympia motel in the predawn darkness on Friday morning, sending dozens of guests fleeing into the night air.
The call to 911 came moments after midnight that the two-story Quality Inn at 1211 Quince Street SE was burning, according to Asst. Chief Mike Buchanan with Olympia Fire. Firefighters arrived five minutes later to find the fire quickly spreading and called a second alarm.
"As the fire progressed in the attic, it outran our ability to extinguish it and finally after about 25 minutes we had to move to a defensive operation," Buchanan said.
Firefighters knocked down the flames, but some flames were still spotted burning the roof seven hours later. Olympia firefighters warned nearby residents to keep windows closed as smoke continued to drift through the neighborhood.