DES MOINES, Iowa- Fire forced the evacuation of a hotel just south of Drake University this (Friday) morning. Jamie Nosalek had just checked into the Holiday Inn Express on 24th Street, and noticed a plastic odor in her room, which she thought was the furnace kicking on. She says she went outside to get her luggage, returned and there was smoke in her room and fire alarms were sounding in the hallways.
Des Moines Fire Lieutenant Rick Thomas tells WHO Radio News crews put it out the fire quickly, containing it to one room on an upper floor. No word yet on a cause. There were no injuries.
Thomas says smoke alarms in the rooms were not required when the hotel was built, but the hallway alarms functioned properly. Investigators, however, are looking into why the sprinkler system did not activate.