Grass fire spreads to a Fresno motel parking lot. Two people sent to hospital, cars burn

Two people were hospitalized Sunday afternoon and vehicles set ablaze as a grass fire along Highway 99 spread into the parking lot of the Days Inn in southeast Fresno.

A fire was reported about 3:30 p.m. off northbound 99 just south of Jensen Avenue. Crews arrived and found grass had ignited, with flames spreading to oleander trees in the parking lot.

Four cars caught on fire, according to Fire Battalion Chief Devin McGuire, and all appeared to have sustained heavy damage.

Motel guests were told to shelter in place as crews worked to extinguish the flames.

One person was hospitalized after suffering burns to their feet while trying to save their vehicle, McGuire said.

Another person went to the hospital due to smoke inhalation.

The condition of either victim was not known.

Adding to the difficulty of fighting the fire, McGuire said, was its location on the embankment along the highway. The parking lot ends nearly right up against the highway.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation.

One lane of the busy north-south thoroughfare had to be blocked off to traffic for about an hour.

This story was originally published May 30, 2021 at 5:52 PM.