A fire that erupted early Wednesday at an Econo Lodge in Wooster, Ohio, resulted in the deaths of three people who were trapped in a room and could not be reached by firefighters. The blaze, which began around 1:30 a.m., saw flames shooting through the motel's roof upon the arrival of emergency crews.
A motel employee informed WEWS-TV in Cleveland that one of the trapped individuals called the front desk to report they were unable to escape the flames. Firefighters made multiple attempts to access the individuals, according to Wooster Township Fire Chief Dallas Terrell. Two of the deceased were employees of the motel. No other injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
The fire severely damaged a detached, one-story section at the rear of the motel. Authorities evacuated guests from other areas of the property while working to clear the building room by room. The Econo Lodge is located approximately 60 miles south of Cleveland.