Days Inn Condemned for Multiple Fire Violations

Harford County and Aberdeen Code Enforcement officials condemned the , located on the 700 block of West Bel Air Avenue on Wednesday, for multiple violations.

The hotel was condemned hours after  at 9:37 a.m. Wednesday.

Fire Safety Inspector William Jiles discovered that more than 30 rooms did not have properly working smoke alarms, and fire extinguishers inside the hotel were not tagged and charged.

The fire started in a corner room, where one occupant had recently checked out, on the ground floor. A nightstand short circuited, creating a spark. The flame traveled through an electrical outlet. The fire reached an adjacent bedroom, where it lit bed covering and a mattress on fire, according to a Maryland State Fire Marshal notice of investigation.

The fire was contained in five minutes, and no one was injured during the incident.

The fire in the room of origin almost snuffed itself out, but flared up when the hotel manager discovered the fire and opened the room's door, which allowed more oxygen in the room, said Deputy Fire Marshal Oliver J. Alkire.

There was an occupant paying for the hotel room where the mattress caught on fire, but the occupant was not present when the fire occurred.

The fire caused an estimated $40,000 in structural damage and an additional estimated $10,000 in personal property damage.