‘It just went crazy’: Motel occupant recounts fire that left one person with life-threatening injuries

Raw footage of a fire at the American Plaza Motel in London.

A man was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries after a fire at an east London motel early Monday morning.

Extensive fire damage could be seen inside a room at the American Plaza Motel, located at 2031 Dundas Street.

“I burned my hair in it, and my toes were burning for a minute,” John Glease told CTV News. Glease lives in a room adjacent to the one that caught fire. “It spread through to my room, and it just went crazy. I lost everything.”

Glease says he also had to help get his girlfriend and dog out of the unit, “It was pretty hard. I had to drag my dog out.”

Emergency responders were called to the scene around 5:10 a.m. When they arrived, they found two people suffering from smoke inhalation. One man was from the fire damaged unit. He was listed in critical condition upon arrival at hospital.

According to London Fire Department Platoon Chief Manager Jamie Briton, “He sustained quite a bit of smoke inhalation. Another, occupant in another room extricated that person before a fire showed up.”

That man was also taken to hospital for smoke inhalation, but his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

London police said they’ll be conducting an investigation in conjunction with London fire and the Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office.

London fire officials gave an initial damage estimate of between $60,000 and $80,000, but say further investigation may change that figure.

Britton also stressed the importance have a fire exit strategy, even if you’re doing a short stay in a hotel or motel, “It’s always a great thing to have an escape plan, regardless of whether you’re at home or abroad.”