Smoke causes downtown hotel evacuation
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Things are back to normal in downtown Austin following a hotel evacuation Sunday night.
Guests were forced to leave the Sheraton on East 11th and Sabine streets late Sunday night after smoke was reported on several floors.
Austin firefighters responded in force to the incident because of the numper of people in the high-rise building.
No one was hurt and the smoke was found to be caused by a burned-out air conditioner motor.
Austin fire officials said the response was normal for a downtown fire.
“This is typical for any high rise,” Austin Fire Battalion Chief Thayer Smith said. “Certainly we’re aware that probably all the hotels this weekend and this coming week are full. So we’re aware of that, but certainly this would be a standard response for any high rise fire.”
Hotel guests who were evacuated were allowed back into their rooms a short time later.