Lafayette, LA –Lafayette firefighters responded to a commercial fire at King Hotel, 1605 N. University Avenue, at 1:08 a.m. this morning. Employees at the hotel noticed smoke coming from an abandoned section of the hotel property and reported it to 911. As firefighters arrived on scene, heavy smoke was coming from the two-story building. Emergency crews entered several rooms and discovered the fire burning on the first and second floor. After forty-five minutes of battling the blaze, firefighters were able to get the fire under control. The fire caused severe damage to four of the hotel rooms.

The forty-room building involved in the fire was not being rented. The owners indicated that it was never occupied and the electric services were disconnected to the rooms. Fire officials determined that someone was inside one of the vacant hotel rooms prior to the fire being discovered. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Anyone with information about the fire is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 232-TIPS or the Lafayette Fire Department at 291-8716.