Two injured in fire at Albion River Inn

An early morning fire Friday at the Albion River Inn on the Mendocino Coast sent two people to the hospital for smoke inhalation and forced the hasty evacuation of multiple guests, though firefighters managed to confine the flames to a single cottage unit, officials said.

The blaze was reported around ?1:40 a.m. at the 10-acre bluff top property on Highway 1 at the mouth of the Albion River, located about 7 miles south of the town of Mendocino, Cal Fire Capt. Sean Farrelle said.

The cottage, one of about a dozen strung along the bluff, was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived, officials said.

Albion-Little River Fire Chief Ted Williams said the two occupants had escaped, and firefighters focused on preventing flames from spreading to neighboring structures. Containment was only possible because of a new engine purchased through a 2014 parcel tax, and equipped to apply compressed-air fire-suppressant foam that can be made without much water, which is often in short supply in rural areas, Williams said.

Despite help from fire agencies in neighboring communities, including Mendocino and Elk, firefighters also called in Mendocino County sheriff’s deputies to assist with evacuating people, Williams said.

Williams said propane was used to heat the cottage but said the cause of the fire was undetermined and remained under investigation.

You can reach Staff Writer Mary Callahan at 707-521-5249 or mary.callahan@pressdemocrat.com. ?On Twitter ?@MaryCallahanB.