Burning Odor Draws HoCo Firefighters to Extended Stay America

COLUMBIA, MD — Firefighters found a dusty heater when they responded to a report of a burning smell at the Extended Stay America on Columbia 100 Parkway Tuesday night, officials said.

At 9:30 p.m., crews were investigating the source of the odor on the second floor of the hotel, according to the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services.

Officials said that dust on the heater, which had been fired up for the first time this season, caused the smell.

The first fall frost arrived Tuesday morning in the Baltimore metro area, and temps were expected to hit the mid 40s after midnight Wednesday in Columbia, according to the National Weather Service.

Heating equipment should be cleaned and inspected annually, the National Fire Protection Association advises.

This is the second time in the past month that Howard County first responders have investigated a fire at an Extended Stay America.

Last month, firefighters were called to the Extended Stay America on Stanford Boulevard in Columbia. That fire was traced to a dryer in a second-story laundry room.

Related: Fire Found on Second Floor at Extended Stay America in Columbia

File Photo.