Miami Beach hotel evacuated after fire sparks inside bar

MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A Miami Beach hotel had to be evacuated after a fire sparked inside the hotel’s bar, according to fire rescue officials.

Miami Beach Fire Rescue units were called to the Seagull Hotel along Collins Avenue and 21st Street, at around 8 p.m., Wednesday.

Miami Beach Fire Rescue spokesperson Christian Chavez said, “Upon arrival, we did see smoke coming from the side of the building — on the Charlie side of the building. We made an aggressive interior attack. We were able to have separate crews separate, evacuate the building, make sure everybody’s safe, make sure everybody was evacuating in a safe manner. We were able to do an aggressive interior attack and put the fire out.”

Fire officials said the fire began inside the kitchen of Free Spirits, the hotel’s ground-level bar.

Cellphone video taken outside of the hotel captured heavy smoke rising from the hotel.

The hotel’s guests have since been allowed to return to their rooms.

Kathleen Zapata said she was in her room when the fire sparked.

“We were watching TV, and the alarm started going off, so we got up,” she said.

7News cameras captured foam used to fight the fire on the street next to the hotel. Cameras also captured firefighters going in and out of the bar to fight the fire.

“We start to hear the fire alarm, and then we go to the stairs … and go down,” Daniel Mata said.

No injuries have been reported.

Preliminary reports suggest the blaze was an electrical fire, fire officials said.

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