State and local investigators are working to determine the cause of a fire that forced the evacuation of a Commerce motel.
Banks County 911 dispatched firefighters to the Red Roof Inn at 30747 Highway 441 around 12:43 p.m. Monday, August 29.
“Upon arrival, units found a multi-story motel with fire showing from the first and second floor balcony area,” says Banks County Fire Chief Steve Nichols.
Firefighters and Banks County Sheriff’s deputies evacuated the motel. The fire was quickly contained and the damage held to the balcony and roof/attic area of the motel, Nichols says. No injuries were reported. The motel sustained moderate damage.
The Banks County Fire Department and Georgia State Fire Marshalls Office are investigating the cause of the fire.
This is the second motel fire in Commerce in two months. On June 20, Motel 6 near Tanger Outlet Mall burned. It’s located about a half-mile from the Red Roof Inn. Investigators ruled out a number of potential causes for the Motel 6 fire including arson, illegal drug manufacturing, and cooking. They say faulty wiring may have been to blame.
