CEDAR CITY — A 3 a.m. explosion that rocked the Zion Inn Motel on Tuesday knocked the motel's residents off their feet and started a fire that eventually destroyed the motel.
"This is the biggest fire we've had in Cedar City for years," said Cedar City Fire Chief Paul Irons.
Firefighters remained on the scene throughout the day to mop up hot spots and keep onlookers away from the still-burning building.
None of the four people living at the motel were injured in the blaze. An employee of a nearby gas station heard the blast and knocked on doors in the motel to alert residents, who hurried outside into the bitter cold.
Owners of another motel in the area offered to provide emergency housing to those who were displaced by the fire, said a local American Red Cross volunteer.
The fire apparently began in the motel's boiler room, said City Manager Jim Allan.
"It's just a couple of blocks up from City Hall on Main Street," said Allan, who added that the city's volunteer fire department worked hard to save adjacent structures.
"We don't know what caused the fire yet, but our guys did a tremendous job," he said.
The motel, which has been at 222 S. Main St. for several decades, was a two-story building with a single-story side wing. An investigation is under way to determine the cause of the fire.