A LANDMARK HOTEL IN TALLASSEE, ALABAMA, was gutted and destroyed early Monday morning when a fire spread through the Talisi Hotel around 3 am. Within hours, police had arrested a juvenile and charged him with setting the fire in an adjacent consignment store that was also destroyed.
Birmingham News / Songer
The hotel was already full ablaze when the first units arrived on scene, with 150 firefighters eventually working the job. The Montgomery Advertiser reports:
The recently reopened, three-story downtown hotel was widely known for its Southern-style buffet restaurant, which attracted people from miles away.
Tallassee Mayor George McCain said the loss of the landmark is devastating for the city. “What it means is we are going to have to completely rebuild downtown because that is the anchor of downtown,” McCain said.
Investigators, after following some tips, arrested and took into custody Monday afternoon a 17-yr.-old boy and charged him with 2 counts arson second degree; 1 count burglary third degree; 1 count of theft 1st degree and criminal mischief. They say that he broke out a window in the consignment shop and stole some merchandise, then set the fire. Mayor George McCain says that the boy confessed in writing to the crime.
The Montgomery Advertiser has this video report from the fire scene:
Also on FireGeezer…
- Teacher Nailed for School Building Arson – August 16, 2011
- Another Firefighter Arsonist Arrested – September 2, 2011
- Firefighter Arrested for August Arson – November 10, 2011
- 6-Alarm Apartment Arson in Massachusetts – October 17, 2011
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