Dozens evacuated afterbreaks out in Alps hotel

LYON AFP March29, 2019- A fierce fire broke out at a hotel in the upscale French Alps ski resort of Megeve, forcing the evacuation of around 180 people though no injuries were reported, officials said Friday.   

The blaze was discovered on the wooden roof of the chalet-style Four Seasons hotel at around 10:00 pm (2100 GMT) on Thursday, and 70 firefighters worked throughout the night to bring the fire under control by Friday morning.   

Officials said the building’s fire alarms did not go off immediately, but the estimated 60 guests and 120 staff at the site were outside the building even before firefighters arrived.   

Evacuees are being housed elsewhere during the investigation into the cause of the blaze, which local newspaper Le Dauphine Libere said might have been started by a chimney fire.