Police have charged one man with mischief after a hotel in Mississauga had to be evacuated due to water damage from a fire hose early Sunday morning.
Emergency crews were called to the Holiday Inn at 970 Dixon Rd. shortly after 2 a.m. when a small fire broke out in the electrical room of the hotel.
When police and firefighters arrived, they found water seeping from an emergency fire hose on the seventh floor. The water from the hose, combined with water coming from the hotel's sprinkler system on the third floor, was leaking through the sagging ceiling, causing damage to the lower floors.
After an investigation, police said the incident was caused by a hotel guest who had been drinking, telling CP24 that they believe the sprinklers were somehow set off by the guest's actions with the fire hose.
Police said they believe the fire was also related to the use of the fire hose.
Approximately 500 guests staying at the hotel were forced to make alternate plans, police said. The guests will not be charged for the night.
The hotel was hosting a weekend science fiction convention, but the final day of the event has been cancelled. The Holiday Inn is completely sold out for the week, so staff members are looking to make alternate arrangements for guests who will be arriving later.
The damage is estimated to be in the tens of thousands, firefighters said.
