TWO PEOPLE ARE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL IN ABQ FOR SMOKE INHALATION … 57 OTHERS ARE DISPLACED AFTER A FIRE AT THE DESERT SANDS MOTEL ON CENTRAL NEAR SAN MATEO TUESDAY MORNING. AFD CREWS WERE SENT THERE AROUND 1:45 AM, AND FOUND SMOKE AND FLAMES COMING FROM THE MOTEL. 22 FIRE DEPARTMENT UNITS WERE SENT TO THE 63 UNIT MOTEL. TWO THIRDS OF THE MOTEL IS BURNED.
KOB-TV REPORTS THE FIRE BURNED THE FIRST AND SECOND FLOORS . THE RED CROSS IS HELPING SOME OF THE DISPLACED RESIDENTS TO RELOCATE. SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE WITH THEIR CHILDREN.
NO WORD ON THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE, BUT SOME WITNESSES SAY THEY HEARD WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS AN EXPLOSION BEFORE THE FIRE STARTED.
