Disney-area motel catches fire, closes roads

Leah Zanolla | Posted: Jun 27, 2011 | Updated: Oct 19, 2014 - 9:25:27 AM

A 430-room motel in Kissimmee, FL caught fire late Sunday night and remains in flames this afternoon. The Vacation Lodge, which is now essentially an apartment complex, is located about a mile from Disney's Animal Kingdom on US Highway 192 and is causing a closure of that road and Reedy Creek Boulevard. The motel is located in an area filled by other tourist-oriented motels and traffic is continuing to pile up as a result.

A resident of the complex told the Orlando Sentinel that there have been a number of fire-safety issues present, including broken sprinklers, empty fire extinguishers, and smoke detectors without batteries. Another resident said that he heard an explosion in a different room just before the fire broke out. He said that there were electrical problems in the building as well that were simply covered up instead of fixed. Eight people have been hospitalized due to injuries caused by the fire and an investigation into the cause of the blaze will begin on Tuesday.