Fire destroys hotel pool house

Vernon — Guests at the Appalachian hotel at Mountain Creek were evacuated on the morning of Wednesday, Jan. 6, after a fire broke out in a pool house at the rear of the hotel. Vernon Police Capt. Ken Kuzicki said the fire was first reported at around 10:45 a.m. and it was extinguished within 15 minutes. Authorities shut off the gas in the area and guests were allowed back into the hotel 20 minutes later. The cause of the fire was under investigation; there were no injuries. The pool house, which houses chlorine and other chemicals, was destroyed but the hotel itself was untouched.