Arlington fire officials watch as part of the Quality Inn and Suites is demolished Saturday after a five-alarm fire destroyed part of the hotel. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
About 150 people escaped a five-alarm fire that gutted a north Arlington hotel early Saturday.
The blaze, reported at 3:57 a.m., is believed to have started in a second-floor room at the Quality Inn and Suites at Texas 360 and Brown Boulevard, fire officials said. At least half of the 60 rooms at the three-story complex were destroyed, fire investigator Stephen Lea said.
All but two guests were accounted for Saturday afternoon, but officials believe they left their rooms after the fire started. Two other guests were treated for smoke inhalation, Battalion Chief John McQueary said.
A demolition crew scooped out sections of the burned rooms near where the fire is believed to have started. Firefighters searched the debris with shovels and rakes, but no victims were found.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Heath Thomas and his family were staying in a first-floor room when they woke about 4 a.m. to the sounds of smoke detectors and people scrambling out of the building.
"My wife got up. About the time she looked out the window, the bedroom window blew out above us and chunks of burning curtain fell on the bushes," said Thomas, whose family was visiting Arlington from Arkansas.
Thomas said his 12-year-old son, Blake, grabbed Darling, the family's Yorkshire terrier, and fled the room with their golf clubs and clothing.
The Thomases and several other guests were moved to the nearby Holiday Inn, American Red Cross spokeswoman Anita Foster said.
Many escaped with their belongings, but one couple on their honeymoon lost everything including their wedding rings, Foster said.
"It was tough. There were some tears being shed," Foster said. "It was a very bad fire. When you see that damage, it makes you grateful to be alive."
The fire spread quickly up the floors and through the attic, Lea said. Firefighters arrived within minutes and went door to door to make sure guests got out, Lea said.
Arlington fire crews were assisted by Fort Worth, Grand Prairie and Kennedale fire departments.
Staff Writer Shirley Jinkins and photographer Darrell Byers contributed to this report.
