"A man jumped out of the window:" Guest tells of Doncaster hotel fire drama
A guest at a Doncaster hotel damaged in a blaze reportedly set his room on fire before jumping out of a window, another guest has said.
Emergency services were called to the Holiday Inn Express in Balby shortly after noon yesterday after smoke began pouring from a room in the building.
A joint police and fire probe into the incident is now underway.
One guest, who was forced to flee the building in his pyjamas, said: “Someone set his room on fire and then jumped out of a first floor window.
"The fire alarm went off and stopped, so we thought it was a test.
"Then it came back on and didn't stop so we evacuated.
"I wasn’t allowed back to my room until 3pm to get my stuff and was only allowed in because I am diabetic and needed food.
"We were escorted back in by police and we weren’t allowed to shower – I had to get my stuff and check out.”
Photos from eyewitnesses at the scene reported plumes of black and grey smoke coming from a first floor window.
A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “We were called at 12:16pm on January 26 to a fire at a hotel on Bullrush Grove, Balby.
"The hotel was evacuated and the fire which was in a hotel room was quickly extinguished.
“Luckily there were no reports of any casualties. Crews left the scene at 1:11pm.
“An investigation into the cause of the fire will now take place.”