A pair of public safety officers narrowly escaped injury when the landmark House of Ludington Hotel in Escanaba caught fire Friday morning, Dec. 5, city officials said.

The officers were among first responders investigating a burning smell at the hotel when they uncovered flames inside a ceiling area. The fire "flashed over" knocking them down a flight of stairs.

The two were able to escape the building uninjured as the flames quickly grew.

The brick hotel, built in 1864 by lumber baron Nelson Gaynor, suffered substantial damage in the blaze, which was first reported about 10:30 a.m. Friday. There was no indication as of Saturday morning what will happen to the damaged structure.

The House of Ludington operators acknowledge the loss in a Facebook post Friday afternoon, and asked the

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