Sulphur firefighters called out at 3 a.m. on Sunday, arrived at a “full and involved” fire at Quality Suites, the hotel at 320 South Cities Service Highway, according to John Naquin, Sulphur assistant fire chief.

Naquin was still at the site on Sunday at 12:30 p.m.

“We’re still working on extinguishing some hot spots, areas a little harder to access because of collapse,” he said.

The hotel has been abandoned since being damaged by Hurricane Laura more than two years ago.

On Friday it looked as though work on repairs had finally begun, according to Melanie Cathey, who lives on the road behind the hotel. She and her husband saw workers on the roof.

About 70 to 100 feet of space is between the hotel and the three-bedroom, two-bath home they just put on the market. John Cathey said he’ll need to rewash the back of the house, and that’s the worst of it, the east wind meant a little soot-carrying mist.

The couple tried to reach the hotel after the hurricane to see when repairs would begin, and to inquire about the privacy fence in particular, but without success. They rebuilt the fence.

Naquin confirmed the hotel had recently pulled permits after receiving a go ahead from the Louisiana State Fire Marshal.

The Fire Marshal and the Sulphur Police Department will investigate.

Naquin said the fire took about two hours to put out and the Sulphur Police Department was assisted by Ward 6 Fire Department District 1, Westlake Fire Department and Carlyss Fire Department.