Santa Cruz Firefighters extinguish structure fire at hotel – Santa Cruz Sentinel

SANTA CRUZ – A fire broke out in the elevator shaft at the Ocean Gate Inn on Ocean Street in Santa Cruz on Saturday, according to a statement prepared by Santa Cruz Fire Department Battalion Chief Josh Coleman.

The Santa Cruz Fire Department responded to a reported fire alarm around midnight Saturday at 111 Ocean St. When the first unit arrived, the hotel manager reported that there was a fire in the elevator shaft and that someone might be trapped in the elevator.

Firefighters upgraded the effort to a “confirmed structure fire response” and took steps to extinguish the blaze and rescue any endangered residents. According to the statement, fire was seen coming from the elevator shaft of the hotel.

Within minutes, the fire department extinguished the fire and evacuated all residents from the hotel. Crews also gained access to the lift chair, which was unmanned.

After approximately 15 minutes of coordinated efforts, the fire was completely extinguished and all the hotel’s occupants were accounted for and were unharmed. According to the statement, the cause of the incident is under investigation and is not suspicious in nature.