Abandoned Banning Hotel Burns 2nd Time In 2 Weeks, Under Investigation

BANNING, CA — The two-story abandoned Oyo hotel caught fire for the second time in two weeks Tuesday morning, Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department announced.

At least three Cal Fire engines were rushed to the 1200 block of East Ramsey Street at 8:30 a.m., where light smoke was visible from the vacant hotel, according to Cal Fire spokesperson Maggie Cline De La Rosa.

Firefighters found the structure "actively burning inside a wall" and were able to contain it within a half hour, according to De La Rosa.

She said no utility shutoffs were requested as the hotel is currently abandoned. The cause of the fire is under investigation, as is the fire that occurred in the same location one week ago.

Multiple fires have ignited at this empty hotel since April 2021 when it first became vacant.

The property, owned by a foreign investment group from India, is currently in receivership and has been flagged for 24/7 security, according to Doug Schulze, Banning's City Manager. Due to as-of-yet unknown reasons, the security company has not been on site for at least three months, he said.

No other security company has as-of-yet been hired to replace them.

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