Waterloo Hotel Fire Under Investigation

Investigators are working to determine the cause of a fire that forced the evacuation of a downtown Waterloo hotel Monday night (January 26, 2015).

According to a Waterloo Fire Rescue official, one woman was hospitalized after the blaze broke out at Quality Inn and Suites. Battalion Chief Mike Moore said the woman suffered smoke inhalation and was taken to a local hospital for treatment. The woman apparently called the hotel's front desk employee to get help after the fire broke out.

Moore said the blaze started in a common room between two doors on the third-floor and that damage was limited to the surrounding area. The small fire, however, created some thick smoke that filtered through the third, fourth and fifth floors of the building.

Evacuated hotel guests were able to return to their rooms for the night after firefighters aired out the building.