Red Lion Hotel in Longview-Kelso heavily damaged in 2-alarm fire

A major two-alarm fire has destroyed a large part of the Red Lion Hotel in Kelso.

The fire broke out Saturday afternoon, just after 1:30.

Fire crews with Cowlitz 2 Fire and Rescue were the first to respond as flames ripped through the structure.

The hotel is more than 50 years old and was built in 1970.

When firefighters got to the scene, smoke was billowing from the front of the hotel, and fire commanders quickly upgraded the response to a two-alarm commercial fire.

An aerial ladder truck pours water on a two-alarm commercial fire in Kelso Saturday.

Everyone made it out of the building safely.

Guests and employees had to be evacuated, but there have been no injuries reported.

An aerial ladder truck began working to put out the flames, dousing the fire from above with huge streams of water.

Fire crews were at the scene of this hotel fire in Kelso for several hours Saturday afternoon and evening.

Other fire departments also assisted with emergency efforts, including the Longview Fire Department, Columbia River Fire & Rescue, Kelso police and many other fire response companies.

It’s unknown, at this point, how the fire started.

Portland’s KATU-TV reported that local residents first saw a black plume of smoke rising through the air.

But they say after about an hour, the color of the smoke turned a shade of orange.

Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue Lieutenant Bryan Ditterick told the Portland television news crew there were multiple fire breaks built into the hotel.

He said that helped keep the fire from spreading quickly.

He added that ladder crews and other fire departments went up on the roof to create “trench cuts,” or long cuts in the roof to prevent the fire from spreading to other parts of the building.

Ditterick said there were 16 rooms reserved for hotel customers Saturday evening.

Crews were at the scene of the fire well into the evening Saturday night battling hot spots.

According to KATU, there were at least six fire engines, three ladder trucks, one water tender and five chief officers working at the scene of the fire.

Several different agencies made it to the scene to provide assistance, including Longview Fire Department, Clark Cowlitz Fire & Rescue, Columbia River Fire & Rescue, Cowlitz County Fire District 6 in Castle Rock, Cowlitz County Fire District 5 in Kalama, and Lewis County Fire.

Kelso Police, Cowlitz County Public Works and Cowlitz County Public Utilities also arrived to help.

Before the the hotel became a Red Lion Inn, it had operated as a Holiday Inn and a DoubleTree.

The property has been associated with the Red Lion brand since the 1970s.

In 2014, the Red Lion Hotels Corporation sold it to a franchisee that continues to operate it under the Red Lion brand.