Massive fire destroys historic Marysville Hotel in Northern California

(FOX40.COM) — The historic Marysville Hotel in Northern California caught fire after a massive fire broke out Saturday evening.

Around 9:30 p.m., the Linda Fire Protection District said it responded to reports of heavy smoke coming from the second and third floors of the vacant hotel building at 420 5th Street in Marysville. In about an hour, small flames turned into a fiery scene.

The Marysville Hotel is the largest building in Marysville's historic commercial district, according to its website. It has been a fixture in the area for nearly a century and was designed by San Francisco architect Edward Glass in the “Georgian Revival style.” Celebrities such as Elvis Presley and Bob Day stayed at this hotel during their trips to Northern California, and although it had been vacant since the 1980s, plans to restore it were underway.

“It looks like there were a lot of fires burning,” Fire Chief Kyle Heggstrom told FOX40.com. “The causes of the fire are still under investigation.”

Firefighters battled the blaze from Saturday evening until early morning. Around 10 a.m. Sunday, smoke and flames were still coming from the hotel as firefighters and law enforcement worked to keep the area safe.

Heggstrom said E Street and 5th Street will remain closed and traffic diverted for at least the next 24 hours for safety reasons. Authorities fear the building could collapse due to fire damage.

“I’m really concerned about the structural integrity of the building,” Heggstrom said. “We have a structural engineer coming in to make a decision.”

Several onlookers watched and waited in shock as the fire consumed the once-bustling hotel. It was reportedly put up for sale only a few months ago, after the death of its owner.

“It seems intentional. The sad thing is they were going to try to bring this hotel back to life,” said resident Debra Monks, who fought back tears as she watched the building burn. “Now it’s probably going to be demolished because it’s a total loss. It's completely gone inside.

Even though it's vacant, the Marysville Hotel holds a special place in the hearts of some locals.

“I was born and raised here. It’s really sad because it’s a really historic building,” Gizelle Romero told FOX40.com. “I didn’t think it was a horror. I thought it was pretty cool. It was part of our community.