Fire Rips Through Twain Harte Inn
The historic Twain Harte Inn has been destroyed by fire.
A devastating fire Tuesday night totally destroyed the 2-story 8,000-square-foot main wing of the motel in downtown Twain Harte.
The wooden structure was fully involved when firefighters first arrived just before 10 o’clock.
The building contained a restaurant dining room and kitchen, bar and lounge and two rental apartments on the lower floor.
Miranda Rivamonte, 21, lived in one of the apartments. She narrowly escaped before the flames destroyed the building.
Dozens of Twain Harte and Tuolumne County firefighters are still on the scene. Smoke and steam continues to billow from the gutted building this morning.
Deb Fish with the Tuolumne County Fire/CDF says firefighters were successful in keeping the fire from threatening the other wings of the motel or other buildings in the Sierra Nevada mountain town.
No cause has been set; Investigators are waiting until the rubble cools down enough to allow them access to the structure. One fire official says the fire is suspicious in nature.
An ambulance transported an injured firefighter who got embers in his eyes. That was the only injury.
The downtown area of Twain Harte is blocked off to traffic to allow fire crews movement around the blaze.
