Jonesboro, AR – Jonesboro Right Now – A structure fire tore through a local motel early Sunday morning, leaving several residents displaced and sending one person to the hospital.
The Jonesboro Fire Department (JFD) responded to an incident at the Jami Bee Motel on Nettleton Avenue at 4:53 a.m. on July 12. According to the JFD’s fire incident report, first-appearing units encountered heavy smoke and flames visibly breaking through the exterior of the one-story building.
Firefighters established a command post and launched a dual-pronged attack. Engine 3 deployed lines to battle heavy flames pouring from the entry door of Unit 34; additional crews focused heavily on life-safety operations.
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Due to dense smoke obscuring the structure, arriving Battalion Chief Shawn Nance employed thermal imaging cameras to safely navigate the scene.
Fire crews systematically moved door-to-door through the motel units, forcing entry into at least one locked room to check for occupants. To prevent the blaze from sweeping through the shared attic space of the entire building, truck crews executed a strategic “trench cut” ventilation hole in the roof approximately three units north of the primary fire room.
A total of five suppression apparatuses and 20 personnel were deployed to bring the scene under control. The fire was officially declared extinguished at 7:49 a.m., three hours after the initial call.
Primary and secondary searches of all neighboring rooms were completed, and no victims were found inside. However, an on-scene EMS unit did transport one resident to a local medical facility. The current medical status and identity of that resident have not yet been released.
Emergency officials confirmed that nine residents have been completely displaced due to structural damage. The American Red Cross was contacted directly at the scene by emergency personnel to coordinate immediate assistance.
While severe damage was reported within Unit 34 and the immediate attic space above it, neighboring units were successfully cleared of active fire. Preliminary estimates in the report indicate minor structural loss and approximately $1,000 in content losses, though assessments are ongoing.
The formal cause of the ignition remains officially undetermined and is actively under investigation by fire department investigators.
JRN has reached out to the Red Cross of Northeast Arkansas regarding the status of the displaced residents. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
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