‘Quite the rude awakening;’ Witnesses recount fire at Super 8 Motel in Vandalia

VANDALIA — The Vandalia Fire Department is working to figure out what started a fire at a motel overnight.

Multiple fire departments responded to the Super 8 Motel on National Road at 4:15 a.m. on initial reports of a fire alarm but discovered smoke and fire on the west side of the building, the City of Vandalia Division of Fire wrote on social media.

Vandalia Fire Chief Chad Follick told News Center 7 that a child staying at the motel sustained a “very minor” leg injury during the evacuation.

Several people were staying in the Super 8 at the time of the fire.

Dakota Gibson said he heard a noise and saw smoke so he immediately called 911.

“It was just a big white cloud, I thought it was an actual cloud at first. I got outside and looked and saw it was smoke coming towards the Super 8,” Gibson said.

Chris Sidwell and his family were passing through and stopped at the motel on their way back to Pennsylvania.

“It looked like it was up in the third-floor area so really was concerned about those people and getting everyone out. Yeah, it was quite the rude awakening here this morning,” Sidwell said.

>> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Child injured, roof collapsed after fire at Super 8 Motel in Vandalia

As News Center 7 previously reported, this motel reopened less than two weeks ago after being closed for nearly a year. The new owners told us on Aug. 16 that they hoped the reopening would “chart and new path” and that they would not be repeating the mistakes of the previous owners.

Some neighbors said they thought it being closed down was for the best.

“The past history was terrible,” said Debbie Cooper, whose family also lives just over the fence from the Super 8. “Police were there constantly.”

Follick said that his crews responded quickly, thanks to the upgrades his department helped install.

>> PHOTOS: Multiple departments respond to fire at Super 8 Motel in Vandalia

“The fire alarm system that we helped them put into place here was key in making sure that this building wasn’t a complete loss, and that nobody lost their life tonight,” Follick said.

The State Fire Marshal’s Fire and Explosion Investigation Bureau opened an investigation into the fire but has since closed their case, according to Andy Ellinger, Public Information Officer for the Ohio Department of Commerce.

The State Fire Marshal provided support and guidance to Vandalia Fire Department’s new investigator and cleared the scene, Ellinger said.

The fire continues to be under investigation by the Vandalia Fire Department.

©2023 Cox Media Group