San Diego
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One man was killed Wednesday in a one-alarm fire that caused $75,000 in damage to the 32-room Launching Pad Hotel, 547 9th Ave., downtown.
Firefighters found Jim Fish, 28, dead in Room 315 of the hotel after the blaze was extinguished.
San Diego Police Officer Greg Speck spotted fire coming out of a third-story room while passing the hotel on patrol. According to fire officials, Speck ran through the hotel alerting residents of the fire and kicked down the door to Room 315, but was driven back by intense heat and smoke.
Speck was treated and released from UC San Diego Medical Center for smoke inhalation. There were no other injuries, and the cause of the fire was still under investigation by the Metro Arson Strike Team.
Arson investigators placed the loss of residents’ belongings at $25,000. The 66 residents of the hotel were transported to a Red Cross shelter in Hillcrest.
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