Fire damages Clare Days Inn

By Pat Maurer

Review Correspondent

A fire Monday night tore through the ceiling and attic of the second floor at the Days Inn in Clare, leaving in its wake extensive fire, smoke and water damage to the $2 million building.

Clare Fire Chief Jim Chapman said the fire was reported around 9 p.m. in the second floor ceiling and attic area on the south side of the building and “rolling smoke” quickly spread throughout the attic area.

“The building is about 300 feet long,” Chapman said. “There aren’t any fire stops in the attic so the smoke spread throughout the building.”  He went on, “When we arrived, smoke was coming from the north and east areas of the roof.”

The building, located at 10100 South Clare Avenue on the north side of the City, was empty at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported.

Clare firemen assisted by Harrison Fire Department, Surrey Township Fire Department and by Mt. Pleasant City Fire Department who brought their ladder truck, fought the blaze until the scene was cleared around 3 a.m. Tuesday morning.

Chapman said there was no estimate yet for the damages to the building, but that there was “extensive damage to the second floor ceiling on the south end and water damage throughout that end of the building.” Insurance adjusters were on the scene Wednesday.

The hotel, owned by TTB LLC, was closed for some renovations, said owner Karl Walls, who lives in the Econo Lodge next door. “We don’t know how it started. We had just closed the building Sunday. It was locked up at the time.” He said “You can’t even see the damage from the outside.” Hotel Manager Jon Turner said they had closed to replace some carpet in the building.

Chapman said the only exterior damage was holes cut in the roof to vent the smoke from the building.

Chapman said the State Fire Marshall’s office was on the scene Monday night to investigate the cause of the blaze.

It was the second business fire in Clare in less than a week. Rodnick Chiropractic on the south side of the City was totally destroyed in a fire Wednesday, December 9.