Overview
- The fire broke out in the early hours of July 1 at the Econo Lodge in Wooster and quickly spread through multiple units, with flames visible through the roof when crews arrived.
- Firefighters made repeated rescue attempts but found three occupants — later identified by the Wayne County Coroner’s Office as Hiteshkumar Suthar, Hinaben Suthar and Isha Suthar — dead after they sheltered inside a bathroom.
- Motel staff say the family called the front desk and were told to lock themselves in the bathroom with water running, an account reported by local outlets that investigators have not independently confirmed.
- All other guests evacuated and one firefighter suffered minor injuries while about 15 departments and roughly 70 firefighters helped bring the blaze under control in about an hour.
- The victims were a family from Nadiad in Gujarat who had lived at the motel for about two years and at least two members worked there, raising questions about employee housing that investigators will examine as the cause remains undetermined.