Cigarette causes hotel fire in Indianapolis that displaced 200 people

A cigarette caused a fire early Saturday morning that displaced about 200 people from the Extended Stay Hotel on Fortune Circle Drive, fire officials said.

A discarded cigarette left in the mulch outside of the west-side hotel caused a fire that crept up the side of the building and spread into the attic space, the Wayne Township Fire Department said in a news release.

Sprinklers activated in the attic prevented the fire from spreading further, the fire department said.

A fire at the Extended Stay Hotel in Indianapolis displaced 200 people early Saturday morning.

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With 102 of 105 total rooms occupied, the hotel was almost full. The fire department said many of the occupants were visiting Indianapolis for Gen Con, a convention that brings more than 65,000 people to the city each year. All of the building's occupants were evacuated shortly before 5 a.m., and no one was injured, the fire department said.

Authorities had the fire under control within 30 minutes, the fire department said, with assistance from the Decatur Township Fire Department and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

Authorities believe the fire started from a cigarette that was left in the mulch outside of the hotel.

All three floors of the hotel were damaged, the fire department said.

The fire damage is mostly limited to the outside of the building, but water from the sprinklers in the attic caused substantial damage to part of the building, authorities said.

The fire department helped the hotel guests retrieve their belongings early this morning.

The American Red Cross also is helping the hotel guests find places to stay.

Contact IndyStar reporter London Gibson at 317-444-6043 or lbgibson@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @londongibson.