Hotel Damaged In Explosion To Be Rebuilt

TMI Hospitality, the owners and operators of the Fairfield Inn and Suites in Lexington, announced Monday it will rebuild the hotel damaged by a gas leak and explosion late Sunday afternoon.

Earlier in the day on Monday, city officials condemned the hotel.

Displaced guests from the hotel were relocated to the nearby Courtyard and Residence Inn hotels, also owned by TMI Hospitality.

Employees of the hotel were able to evacuate everyone safely from the hotel when they learned of the gas leak.

The hotel’s fire alarm was activated, prompting many of the guests to leave the hotel on their own.

Debbie Tyler, the hotel’s assistant general manager, then went room to room to clear any remaining guests before the explosion took place.

Firefighters went back into the hotel on Monday to gather the personal belongings and luggage of the guests who had already checked in for the night.

Most of the cars buried by debris were also removed from the hotel’s wreckage Monday afternoon.