Melbourne St hotel fire: Guests describe how there was no alarm or evacuation orders
Three men were critically injured in a North Adelaide hotel fire – guests had to flee in their pyjamas after being woken by the noise of shouting and small explosions, not a fire alarm.
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A serious blaze at a North Adelaide hotel has left three men in a critical condition in hospital.
The fire at the Comfort Hotel Adelaide Meridien on Melbourne St around 6.30am on Sunday forced dozens of people to flee in their nightwear, with one burnt man jumping into the hotel’s swimming pool.
Seven people, including two young girls, sought refuge on a balcony before they were rescued by firefighters using a ladder.
Other guests were taken from balconies by firefighters using a cherrypicker.
Multiple guests have told The Advertiser they did not hear fire alarms or any instructions from staff over a public announcement system telling them to evacuate.
Instead, they have described hearing a loud argument before a series of small explosions, with guests shouting there was a fire.
Police say a total of 15 people were rescued during the emergency, which saw Melbourne St blocked to traffic as fire fighting appliances, ambulances and police rushed to the scene.
Cathay Pacific pilot Darren Whitfield has described how he opened the door to his room on the hotel’s second floor to thick smoke in the corridor.
Mr Whitfield, who lives in Hong Kong, was staying at the hotel with his partner, Karolina Miziolek, and daughter Isla Whitfield, 11, when the fire broke out.
“I could see people crawling on the floor in really thick smoke,” he said.
“I let them into our room, one by one until there were four of them, including a young girl.
“They were covered in black soot, it was coming out of their noses and they were coughing really badly.
“We got out to the balcony, there were seven of us crammed on there.”
Mr Whitfield said smoke starting seeping through the walls of his hotel room as the group moved out onto the balcony.
They were among a total of 15 people who were rescued – with seven taken to hospital.
They included the man who jumped into the hotel’s pool with serious burns to his hands and feet.
SA Health confirmed on Sunday afternoon three men aged 43, 44 and 54 were in a critical condition in ICU at the RAH burns unit while another four people had been treated for smoke inhalation and discharged.
Mr Whitfield said he rang triple-0 to report the fire when he opened the door and saw the smoke.
“It was right down to the floor,” he said.
Mr Whitfield said there was no audible fire alarm nor verbal communication from staff to evacuate the fire while exit signs were barely visible in the thick smoke.
“I have been in hotels all around the world and know about fire evacuation systems,” he said.
“There was no fire or smoke alarms going off and no instructions over the PA system.
“There were no visible exit signs through the smoke.”
Ballarat man Gil Whelan, 65, who was holidaying with his wife, said he was disappointed with the lack of fire direction from the hotel.
“There was no PA system used,” he said.
“It was just like a car alarm and then people screaming to get out.
“But there was no PA system through the building, which I found disappointing.
“While we were in our room, we didn’t know anything was wrong.
“We just heard a bit of screaming.”
Sydney residents Johan Linde, Darya Ahmadi and Donya Ahmadi also said they did not hear any fire alarm or evacuation orders apart from staff knocking on doors.
The trio, who were visiting Adelaide for a wedding, escaped the hotel in their nightwear.
Mr Linde said he was woken around 6.30am by what he thought was an argument.
“I could hear this really loud shouting, it sounded like domestic violence, it was really aggressive,” he said.
“Someone was yelling ‘help me’, ‘help me’ then there were these explosions and all this commotion.
“I could hear a beeping like we had left the fridge door open and then people were shouting there was a fire.
“There wasn’t any fire alarm or anything coming over loud speakers.
“Staff were knocking on doors telling people to get out, they were yelling ‘get out of the rooms’.”
Melbourne man Billy-Kelly Ingrim, 68, was staying on three doors down from where the third floor room where the fire started.
Mr Ingrim, who was in Adelaide for the Anzac Day service on Monday, said he heard a “pop” and then “a girl” screaming.
“The smell (of smoke) was really potent,” he said.
“We just shouted ‘it’s a fire’ and everybody started screaming.
“We all got out and made it by coming down the stairs.”
Melbourne St resident, Adam Vanson, 33, said he had to leave his apartment because too much smoke was blowing through his window.
“I heard probably five consecutive explosions like a bang,” he said.
“When I came out a man was brought down by the crane, and his hands were red.”
SA Police Superintendent Matt Nairn said “approximately” 95 rooms were occupied at the hotel at the time of the fire.
“We’ve actually accounted for everybody within the building,” he said.
“Seven people have gone to hospital at the stage.
“We’ve got one gentleman with hands and feet burns, we’ve got some that have gone to hospital for smoke inhalation.”
Criminal Investigation Branch detectives conducted interviews at the scene, with a vehicle later towed away.
SA Ambulance Service intensive care paramedic Craig Murdy confirmed seven people had been taken to hospital.
“Five have gone to the Royal Adelaide and two have gone to the Lyell McEwin,” he said.
“One had relatively severe burns but the rest have just got fire associated medical conditions.”
Eleven MFS appliances, two command vehicles and 46 firefighters attended the fire.
The MFS said on Su`nday afternoon the fire was being treated as accidental, with the cause still under investigation.
The estimated damage bill was not known.
The hotel’s management declined to comment.
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