Crews are investigating a fire that started Monday evening at a Residence Inn, according to an Albuquerque Fire Department spokeswoman.
Lieutenant Carla Williams said firefighters went to the Residence Inn at 3300 Prospect NE around 6 p.m. and found flames and smoke coming from a storage area.
“Crews were able to contain the fire to the point of origin,” Williams said. “There were no injuries to firefighters or civilians.”
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Numerous fire trucks and police cars could be seen in the hotel parking lot. Police cars blocked traffic on Prospect, while evacuated hotel guests and employees stood around in the street waiting to return to their rooms.
Alistair Overeem, a UFC fighter staying at the hotel, said he was taking an afternoon nap when there was a loud explosion in the building next door.
“I heard a big boom,” he said. “I thought it was nothing going on, but one of my teammates came and got me ‘we need to get out of here now.'”
Overeem said, as he left his room, there was a lot of flames and heat coming from the building next door.
“There was a huge black cloud,” he said. “It was a little hectic, but I think the situation is under control now.”
