Fire Destroys Memphis Motel; FF Bitten By Fire Ants

Sept. 01--Fire broke out in a 50-room motel on Lamar early Sunday, but no one was seriously injured, officials said.

Still, the Super 8 Motel at 4060 Lamar was a total loss, Memphis Fire Department spokesman Lt. Wayne Cooke said.

The fire began about 11:45 a.m. when the air-conditioning unit in Room 207 malfunctioned, Cooke said. The guests evacuated, he added, and the only minor injury came to a firefighter who suffered several bites from fire ants. The fire was brought under control just before 1 p.m.

Cooke estimated the value of lost property and contents at $750,000.

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