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A devastating fire tore through the Econo Lodge in Wooster Township early Wednesday morning, claiming the lives of three people who were trapped in a single room as flames spread rapidly through the building.
First responders arrived at the motel in the 2100 block of East Lincoln Way around 1:30 a.m. on July 1 after receiving a 911 call reporting people trapped inside. When fire crews reached the scene, heavy flames were already shooting through the roof of the structure. The initial engine company made several rescue attempts to reach the victims in the room, but the efforts proved unsuccessful.
The fire originated in the southwest corner of the hotel and spread with such complexity and intensity that authorities elevated the incident to a five-alarm fire. Firefighters worked for several hours to bring the blaze under control. Two women and one man were pronounced dead at the scene.
Wayne County Sheriff Tom Ballinger stated that the three victims were all in one room when the fire claimed their lives. “Between the fire department and us, the first thing our deputies did, they just started clearing rooms in the area and the heat and the smoke was pretty extensive,” Ballinger said. Other guests were successfully evacuated from their rooms, and there were no other reported injuries at the time the fire was contained.
One firefighter sustained minor burns while attempting rescue operations but was treated on scene and returned to fire suppression efforts. Authorities were able to evacuate the building, and officials reported that people staying at other areas of the hotel did not hear smoke alarms going off.
A witness who was staying at the motel that night described the harrowing experience. “I woke up a couple hours later to flames and smoke and people yelling,” the guest said. His vehicle parked nearby also sustained damage from the intense blaze that spread across a large section of the building.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Multiple agencies are working to determine how the blaze started, including the Wooster Township Fire Department, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, the State Fire Marshal’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The identities of the victims have not been released at this time.
Fire Chief Dallas Terrell expressed his condolences, stating “This is a horrible tragedy, and we’re very sorry for their loss.” The incident marks one of the deadliest motel fires in Ohio in recent memory, highlighting the critical importance of fire safety systems and evacuation procedures in lodging facilities.