Playa del Carmen, Q.R. — Hotel guests stood around early Saturday afternoon watching a fire burn a second level palapa. The incident happened on an upper level terrace of the Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda hotel located north of Playa del Carmen.
Solidaridad firemen received the report minutes before 1:00 p.m. Saturday. Units 126 and 06 of the Playa del Carmen fire department were sent to the scene under the command of Asiel Marcelo.
When firefighters arrived, they observed that hotel employees had already climbed the roof and were able to extinguish the fire themselves. Solidaridad firemen left the scene at 2:30 p.m.
Tourist Police remained at the scene to begin an investigation. According to responding police officer Dariana Michelle Che Cahuich, the hotel manager confirmed additional support was not required, at which time, police also left.
The fire started just before 1:00 p.m. on a thatched roof on the upper terrace (roof level ) of the hotel. The grass quickly burned and dropped to the floor below, also catching the second floor terrace palapa on fire.
Authorities did not say exactly how the third level fire started. Hotel employees doused the flames and stopped the fire from spreading. There were no injuries reported.
