Santa Maria Hotel Fire Called Arson
SANTA MARIA, Calif. – 62-year-old Santa Maria man has been charged with arson for allegedly starting a fire at the Mission Hotel on 300 West Main Street.
Firefighters and police responded to the low-rent, residential motel just after 8:00pm Wednesday night after getting a call about smoke coming from the building and people trapped.
As police began evacuating the motel residents arriving fire companies found one wing of the building filled with smoke.
The Santa Maria Fire Department says an aggressive interior attack coordinated with horizontal ventilation quickly knocked down the main body of the fire.
The Fire Department says a thorough search of all units in the building resulted in no fatalities and only one injured occupant.
Santa Maria Police say one of its responding officers was taken to the hospital and treated for smoke inhalation and then released.
Police say an investigation into the cause of the fire led to the arrest of 62 year old Jack McDonald who is a resident of the motel.
Police say McDonald suffered minor injuries and was treated at the hospital then booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail on a charge of aggravated arson.
The Fire Department says the Red Cross attended to the needs of the remaining motel occupants since the building was partially habitable.
Damage to the building and loss of contents is estimated at $12,000.
In December 2013, 57 year old Amos Andrews was arrested and eventually convicted of arson for starting a fire at the Town Center Hotel near the intersection of Main Street and Broadway.
The fire gutted many of the low-rent rooms and left dozens of low-income and disabled residents homeless.
