Sprinkler leak forces hotel in Austintown to shut down

STAFF REPORT

AUSTINTOWN — A leak in the sprinkler system caused Country Inn and Suites on Interstate Boulevard to shut down.

The combination of a window left open and the heater left on cool in a room on the third floor of the hotel caused pipes to freeze and crack just after midnight Tuesday.

Austintown Fire Chief Andrew Frost Jr. said water leaked down through the first, second and third floors and caused the electrical systems to malfunction.

“It got into electrical and power lines, and the whole place had to be shut down,” he said. “All the people had to be taken out and evacuated.”

Frost said an inspector from the state fire marshal’s office was on the scene Tuesday morning.

Dennis Ginty, spokesman for the state fire marshal, said an estimate on the damage had not been determined.

“Water did go into several smoke detectors, and it did set off the smoke alarm system,” he said. “There was damage to rooms on the first, second and third floors. How extensive beyond that, I don’t know.”

Frost said that after speaking to the inspector on site, he believed the hotel would reopen this afternoon.

“He said it probably won’t open back up until tomorrow,” he said. “Electricians have to make sure the wiring is safe.”

Frost said Tuesday, the hotel was on fire watch because the alarms were down.

The manager of Country Inn and Suites declined to comment.