Grand California Fire
 

702 hotel rooms evacuated at 3:00am this morning as fire alarms sounded and strobe lights flashed. it was the real deal as the Grand Lobby's Christmas Tree was engulfed in flames. a few guests had minor injuries during the evacuation and all gathered outside in the cold to await the Anaheim Fire Department's quick response. guests are still outside at this hour, but may be cleared to go back to their rooms in about an hour. The "AP lounge" has suffered extensive water and smoke damage.

Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. - A 35-foot Christmas tree caught fire in the lobby of the Disneyland Grand Californian Hotel early Wednesday but nobody suffered serious injuries, a fire official said.

The hotel's sprinkler system kept the 3 a.m. blaze in check and firefighters were able to quickly put it out, said Maria Sabol, a spokeswoman for the Anaheim Fire Department....."

AFD spokewoman says cause was electrical and two guests suffer minor injuries described as "one with anxiety and one with back strain".

damage now described as "minor smoke and water damage" to furniture.

Not the AP Lounge! Where will we loiter in 2006?

That said, I'm glad there were no serious injuries or extensive damage to the hotel.

:eek: Wow, that could have been far more serious than it was. Glad to hear the emergency procedures did their job. I do hope the AP lounge is back in inaction soon.

That's what they get for having a fake tree.



I'm glad no one was hurt. Maybe next time they'll show more class, in keeping with $400-a-night sleeping closets.

Because real trees don't burn as easily? :confused:

Video of the firefighters putting out the tree can be found at this link: http://cbs2.com/local/local_story_362080450.html

How's this for a bit of irony, on Tuesday at around noon, I was making my way back to the Acorns Gifts and Goods shop and was stopped by Dorothy Stratton, the manager of the Grand California Hotel. She was spending her day off with her family and they were going to have their picture in front of the lobby tree. Dorothy had me take the picture so she could join her family in it. Fortunate timing for her. That picture will no doubt be a very memorable one for much more than just a family shot!:eek:

^ awesome that.



(And no, fake trees don't burn more easily than real trees. They just cause bad luck - ironically, I might add, in light of the evergreen life spared by using a fake tree. But it's just tacky.)


Anyways, I'm glad no one was hurt. Maybe we can re-christen the "AP Lounge" as the "Smoking Lounge."

Thanks for the video link, Hades. Was I the only dork who noticed that the stock photo they used was not only of the wrong hotel, but of a sign that no longer exists?