A Pismo Beach hotel was damaged by an early morning fire Wednesday, causing significant damage and forcing its closure indefinitely.
Cal Fire spokesperson Toni Davis said a fire started at The Grove at Pismo Beach around 3:30 a.m., damaging 15 rooms in all — including two significantly.
The hotel was evacuated and no one was injured, Davis said. Firefighters from multiple agencies contained the fire in about an hour.
The hotel is closed and it's unclear when it will reopen. Multiple calls to the hotel seeking comment went unanswered.
A KSBY photographer at the hotel bumped into an international couple whose plans to stay at the location were abruptly canceled without notice.
"We were surprised when we saw the fence," said Lander Vanhoof, who was traveling through the United States with his partner, Nele. "We went driving to the road to see where we could park but I said, 'There is something wrong here.'"
The Belgium couple was on the 19th day of a 21-day vacation. The KSBY photographer said the couple, who reportedly had other complications on the trip, including non-functioning international SIM cards in their phones, managed to book a reservation at another hotel.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
