By Khalida Sarwari
An early morning blaze at a Santa Cruz hotel today caused an estimated $5,000 in damage and forced the guests to evacuate, but no one was injured, the fire department said.
The fire was reported around 1:10 a.m. at a room on the fifth floor of the El Palomar hotel, located at 1344 Pacific Ave., according to the fire department.
About 15 firefighters responded and extinguished the fire using the hotel’s sprinkler system.
Consequently, the rooms directly below the room where the fire started sustained some water damage, as did a couple of businesses on Pacific Avenue, according to the fire department.
The blaze caused an estimated $5,000 in damage, but the sprinkler system prevented further damage.
The hotel’s alarm system alerted the hotel’s occupants, and they all managed to evacuate safely.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The Scotts Valley Fire District assisted.