Dozens were evacuated as firefighters battled a two-alarm blaze in downtown Colorado Springs Monday.
Crews were called to the Econo Lodge at North Nevada and Monument just before 7 a.m.
“We received a 911 call ... that there was an explosion in the dumpster behind this location,” said Lt. Drew Cahill with the Colorado Springs Fire Department.
“We did find a fire that was being fed by the large commercial gas line at that location,” Cahill said of what crews saw pulling up to the scene.
Guests at the hotel told 11 News they heard a loud boom Monday morning.
“I didn’t know if there was an accident in the street, or what, but it was just so loud,” said Sandy Fryberger. “A few minutes later, we heard the fire sirens, and a few minutes after that, firefighters were knocking on our doors and said, ‘Get out, but get out safely, there’s a fire, we need everyone out of the building.’ Everything happened so fast.”