Cadillac Motel fire cause unknown

Sept. 30--A Saturday night fire that caused heavy damage to the roof and attic of a wing of the Cadillac Motel started in a pile of rubbish behind the office.

But Steve Leonard, a battalion chief for the Owensboro Fire Department, said officials have not determined what caused the fire, which is still under investigation by fire officials and the Owensboro Police Department.

The fire was reported at 11:45 p.m. at the West Second Street motel. Leonard said the fire climbed the wall and got into the motel attic, where it spread.

"Of course, it had free run of the attic at that point," Leonard said. "Probably 90 percent of the fire was in the attic area, (with) very little extension to the rooms below."

The fire was able to spread due to the number of combustible items in the attic, Leonard said. One person was transported to Owensboro Health Regional Hospital for treatment.

Although the fire damage was mostly confined to the attic and rooms, the rooms below sustained fire and smoke damage, he said.

Both Leonard and Evelyn Miller, executive director of the American Red Cross Western Kentucky Chapter, said 27 units were rendered uninhabitable.

"We're trying to determine the logical ignition source. Obviously, one would have had to have been introduced," Leonard said. "It could have been something as simple as someone (lighting) a cigarette, or it could have been intentional."

Firefighters had to evacuate the motel's occupants. Although the motel had smoke alarms and the alarms were sounding, many people did not leave their rooms until they were evacuated by firefighters, Leonard said.

Several people also tried to re-enter their rooms while fire units were still trying to control the fire, he said.

Miller said several motel occupants were put up in an emergency shelter Saturday night.

"With a situation like that, even when all the units aren't burned out, they (the occupants) can't go back in," Miller said.

Daviess County Jailer David Osborne said 17 motel residents were put up in a vacant building on the jail site that is used as a training center.

"We had plenty of new (sleeping) mats in stock, because we make them, and (food was) not a problem, because we're cooking hundreds of meals" daily, Osborne said. All of the motel occupants had left the shelter by noon Tuesday, Osborne said.

Other agencies such as the Salvation Army provided assisted, and the residents who can't go back to their rooms are being provided with ways to replace clothing, food and some medications, Miller said.

Nick Pavlas, an owner of the Cadillac Motel, said he and brother Harry Pavlas plan to rebuild the damaged area.

"We're waiting on the insurance to come through, and then we'll rebuild it," Pavlas said.

James Mayse, (270) 691-7303, jmayse@messenger-inquirer.com, Twitter: @JamesMayse

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