UPDATE: Everyone accounted for as Kamloops firefighters tackle downtown motel blaze

KAMLOOPS – A fire at a downtown Kamloops motel started in the downstairs restaurant.

Firefighters arrived at the Travelodge at Columbia Street and 4 Avenue just before noon, Aug. 10, to find a fire in the motel's kitchen and kitchen exhaust system, Kamloops Fire Rescue fire investigator Arlene Ball says.

"Basically it started above the kitchen equipment in the hood that collects exhaust," she says. From there it travelled through the ventaliation system to the roof.

Staff were cooking in the kitchen at the time. 

Six people were in the restaraunt area including staff; all were evacuated with no injuries. Two rooms were occupied in the building and both guests have been relocated to the motel across the road which has the same owners.

The building doesn't appear to have significant structural damage, though Ball isn't sure to what extent the exhaust and ventalation systems are damaged. Some walls were torn up to get to the systems as well. The whole building has smoke damage.

Traffic was blocked westbound on Columbia Street between 3 Avenue and 4 Avenue, RCMP say, although it has since reopened.

— This story was updated at 12:41 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016 to include new information from Kamloops Fire Rescue.

— This story was updated at 4:01 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016 to include new information from Arlene Ball of Kamloops Fire Rescue.

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