Fire tears through Ramada Hotel in Cochrane

Hotel in Cochrane, Alta., on fire Fire crews are at the scene of a Cochrane hotel that caught fire Sunday afternoon. Tyson Fedor reports

Fire crews from neighbouring communities had to be called in to help with a fire that broke out in the Ramada hotel in Cochrane on Sunday.

Cochrane Fire Service (CFS) received a call around 2 p.m. about smoke coming from the building. When firefighters arrived they said there was smoke coming from the northwest corner of the hotel.

“We experienced really heavy winds here in Cochrane so it spread the fire very fast,” said Insp. Jeff Avery with the CFS.

Crews from several surrounding areas come to help with the fire, 34 firefighters were on scene Sunday.

According to Avery, no one was injured in the fire, the hotel was evacuated when crews arrived.

Peace officers were instructing peope to leave the area because the smoke from the fire was making the air quality poor.

Investigators are still working to determine where the fire started and what caused it. Avery added the fire is one of the largest the CFS has ever had to contend with.