Investigators know what it wasn’t but still don’t know what it was that caused a devastating motel fire in Commerce earlier this month.
State and local arson and insurance investigators met several times following the fire at Motel 6 on Frontage Road at Banks Crossing.
“We completely ruled out arson, cooking, or illegal drug manufacturing as a cause,” says Banks County Fire Chief Steve Nichols. A spokesman for the State Fire Marshal’s Office adds, “We have no reason to suspect foul play at this point.”
The fire that ripped through the two-story motel started in the void space between two rooms near the attic where wiring and plumbing were located, says Nichols.
“The vent fan and electrical wiring in that area could not be ruled out as the cause of the fire,” he says. At this point, officials have listed the fire as “accidental.”
Approximately 30 guests were at the motel when the fire broke out on the afternoon of June 20. All guests and staffers were safely evacuated.
It took 112 firefighters from 12 different departments approximately 18 hours to contain and extinguish the blaze. Two Banks County firefighters were overcome by fatigue and heat exhaustion and were treated overnight at an Athens hospital. There were no other injuries.
