Cigarette to blame for Blue Springs hotel fire

BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. - Officials have determined what caused a fire at a Blue Springs hotel that displaced dozens of people Friday evening.

Central Jackson County Fire Chief Eddie Saffell said a cigarette tossed in mulch is to blame for sparking the fire, which caused heavy damage to the Comfort Inn and Suites located at 1501 NW Northridge Dr.

Several vacationers staying at the hotel lost many of their valuables – but they all got out with their lives.

Crews battled the blaze until 11 p.m., Friday. Additional firefighters stayed on the scene overnight to check for hot spots, according to Saffell.

Dozens of people lined the street to watch and wait as crews spent hours tried to control the blaze.

"Once we got under I-70 going this way, we could see the flames,” said Blue Springs resident Mark Worth. “I thought man, this is a big fire."

Everyone that was staying in the hotel is now at the Grain Valley Comfort Inn and Suites, which is owned by the same person as the Blue Springs location.

There were 19 rooms occupied when the fire broke out, according to Saffell.