Fire forced evacuation of the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Uptown Normal on Thursday morning and heavily damaged a coffee and souvenir shop inside.
According to a news release from the Normal Fire Department, fire crews were called to the hotel at 201 Broadway St. at 7:33 a.m.
The fire reportedly started in the Caffeina’s Marketplace Cafe in the atrium lobby of the hotel. A hotel worker tried unsuccessfully to put out the fire with a portable extinguisher before the fire sprinklers were activated.
The fire was about in about 25 minutes, according to the fire department. There was heavy fire damage in the cafe and water damage throughout the lobby.
The hotel remains open and no injuries were reported.
The fire department said the cause of the blaze remains under investigation. A damage estimate isn’t available.
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