Abandoned hotel fire in Salina under investigation

SALINA, Kan. (KSNW) – Another fire is under investigation in Salina—this time at an abandoned hotel.

A fire broke out at an abandoned hotel on the west side of Salina late Tuesday night. There’s no word yet on what caused the fire, but the fire department says that people were seen leaving the building when it caught fire.

The hotel has been empty for some time. The Salina city manager says property maintenance codes require buildings not being used to be boarded up.

“We have dangerous abandoned structure codes, and so there’s actually a very detailed board-up standard that we try to hold owners to board up any openings to try to prevent access. That’s an ongoing conversation. It’s kind of an ongoing process with the owner,” said Salina City Manager Mike Schrage.

The City says they work with code enforcement to address issues when abandoned structures are left unsecured. They can pursue violations if abandoned buildings aren’t safe. They have discussed redeveloping this building, but there are no concrete plans yet.