Coast motels get boost from Rough fire fallout

Dirty air from the Rough fire is giving Valley residents another reason to do what is second nature for many — head to the coast.

Several hotel and motel operators along the Pacific Ocean said they’re busy as usual as summer winds down.

Parents are moving kids into college dorms. Beach lovers are taking another stroll. Sporting events are in full swing.

And there’s the fire.

“I overheard one guest say he woke up one morning and had so much ash on his car he had to get away,” said Edward Herrera, manager at Inn at Avila Beach.

Herrera said he has heard other hotel-motel operators in the area say they’re getting customers fleeing fallout from the fire or extending their stay until things calm down. But, Herrera added, he thinks only a few of his guests are in town for that reason.

“We’re busy every weekend because we’re on the beach,” he said.

The receptionist at The Palomar Inn in Shell Beach said the place is always full this time of year.

“People come here because of the heat,” said the receptionist, who asked that her name not be used. “I don’t know if it’s the fire, too.”

Kappy Patel at Seaside’s Sand Castle Inn said the motel is busy thanks to nearby Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

“There’s a car race,” Patel said. “That’s why most people are here.”

This story was originally published September 12, 2015 at 3:45 PM with the headline "Coast motels get boost from Rough fire fallout."