Investigators have determined the Memorial Day fire, that claimed the main section of the Oasis Inn located in Oacoma, SD, was caused by a mechanical failure in the whirlpool area.

The Oasis Inn, the hotel located next to the popular tourist destination Al's Oasis along Interstate 90 caught fire around 2:00 a.m. on Monday, May 30, 2016.

Al's Oasis itself did not sustain any damage during the fire.

Initial reports were that the fire may have started because of a lightning strike during a thunderstorm that rolled through the area that morning.

All of the guests staying at the hotel on the morning of the fire were evacuated successfully and no injuries were reported.

South Dakota State Fire Marshal Paul Merriman concluded the fire likely happened as a result of a failure in the whirlpool exhaust fan motor.

A damage estimate is not known at this time.

Source: Sioux City Journal


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