Guests of Stanton motel flee after small fire, possible explosion

A small fire and possible explosion Sunday night at a motel in Stanton may have injured one person and startled other guests into fleeing the building, Orange County fire officials said.

Witnesses reported hearing a small blast prior to the fire, but there were no flames in the motel by the time Orange County Fire Authority firefighters arrived at the scene, said Capt. Daryll Milliot.

The explosion was reported at 7:04 p.m. in the 11800 block of Beach Boulevard. When firefighters arrived, they found guests who had already evacuated the building.

One person may have been injured in the fire or the explosion, Milliot said, but the victim was not at the motel when firefighters arrived. He said the victim was believed to have taken him or herself to a hospital.

The cause of the explosion was not clear Sunday night — firefighters inspected the unit where the fire broke out, then called for a hazardous materials team to continue the investigation.

Details about any damage to the motel were not available Sunday night.