An explosion on Wednesday at a Palm Springs hotel injured one employee and scorched the inside of a ground-level room. The blaze caused structural damage to the Caliente Tropics Resort Hotel, according to the Palm Springs Fire Department.
The explosion was characterized as a backdraft by Palm Springs Fire Department Capt. Nathan Gunkel. The incident was reported at around 11:50 a.m. at the 400 block of East Palm Canyon Drive. Firefighting crews dispatched five engines and one medical squad and were able to contain the flames shortly after noon.
Gunkel told KNX the entire wing of the hotel has been unoccupied for some time, and no guest injuries or evacuations were reported.
Gunkel said one hotel employee, a maintenance worker, was trying to extinguish the flames when he was burnt by the sudden blast. He sustained minor injuries and was treated by medical responders at the scene.
An investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.