EL PASO — A fire that started in a closet of a vacant hotel room on the fourt floor of the De Soto Hotel was due to arson according to investigators. It took 27 firefighters to contain the fire and approximately 30 people were evacuated from the hotel.
No injuries were reported and guest returned to their rooms shortly after.
The hotel room sustained moderate smoke damages estimated at $4,000.00.
This is the second fire crews respond to at the De Soto Hotel. On Sunday, fire crews were dispatched to the hotel when reports of smoke were called into 9-1-1 at 3:59 a.m. Fire crews extinguished the fire within minutes and no injuries were reported. Fire investigators later arrested 61-year-old Larry Eugene Toynes for setting the carpet on fire in his hotel room. Toynes is currently detained at the El Paso County Detention Facility and charged with Arson, a 2nd degree felony.
The public is urged to contact the Fire Marshal's Office with any information about this morning's fire by calling (915) 485-5699.