Haley Gustafson | Daily Press Escanaba Public Safety Department firefighters battle a blaze with heavy smoke at a motel in Wells Township, Friday afternoon.

ESCANABA — At approximately 1 p.m. Friday, Escanaba Public Safety was dispatched to the Sunset Lodge, located in the 6300 block of North 11st Street in Wells Township, following Delta County Central Dispatch receiving a 911 call about a structure fire. When officers arrived on scene they discovered a multi-unit motel was fully engulfed in flames.

Officers used several attack lines and mutual aid from Escanaba Township Volunteer Fire Department to extinguish the blaze. Firefighters were initially hindered by a live, overhead power line that frayed at the mast of the building and was lying charged on the ground. Escanaba City Electric arrived on the scene and disconnected the power to the line.

Firefighters were on scene for approximately two hours battling the blaze. No one was in the motel room at the time of the fire and no injuries were sustained by firefighters.

According to Escanaba Public Safety, the blaze was extinguished quickly due in part to Escanaba Public Safety and Wells Township’s new fire truck that creates an air, foam and water combination that smothers fires more rapidly than water alone.

The fire may have been started by a discarded cigarette in and outdoor, plastic, smokeless ashtray.

Assisting with the fire was Delta County Central Dispatch, Escanaba Township Volunteer Fire Department, Escanaba City Electric, UPPCO Power, and Rampart EMS.

No further information is being released at this time.