PORT TOWNSEND — A guest at the Aladdin Motor Inn was airlifted to a Seattle hospital after a fire broke out in his ground-level room earlier this week.
The cause of the Wednesday night fire remained under investigation Thursday by both East Jefferson Fire-Rescue and the Port Townsend Police Department, said Bill Beezley, Fire Department spokesman.
The 42-year-old man who was staying in the room was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for smoke-related injuries after firefighters were alerted to the fire at 8:49 p.m., Beezley said.
The man, who is from out of state, was not identified, in accordance with Fire Department policy.
His condition is unknown. Hospitals will not provide information without names, and Beezley didn’t know how the man was.
There were no other injuries, Beezley said.
The room suffered modest damage.
Sgt. Ed Green of the Port Townsend Police Department said he had nothing to report Thursday, help from the Police Department having been requested just that morning.
Account of fire
Beezley gave this account, based on reports at the motel:
The guest, who had fallen asleep on the bed, later awoke to a room full of smoke and flames in the area of the sink, which was located outside the unit’s bathroom near the entrance door.
He grabbed a T-shirt to cover his face and jumped out the ground-floor window, where he collapsed.
Another motel guest noticed heavy smoke coming from the room next door and pulled a fire alarm, which alerted 9-1-1 emergency dispatchers.
The manager of the hotel heard the alarm, used a key to enter the room and emptied the contents of two fire extinguishers on the fire.
East Jefferson Fire-Rescue firefighters arrived shortly thereafter and quickly put out the remains of the fire.
