Fire engulfing the Comfort Inn and Suites early Friday morning, June 13, in Merritt/via BC RCMP

A popular short-stop hotel in Merritt for those making their way through the BC Interior is expected to be out of commission for a while.

A large fire early Friday morning has caused significant damage to the Comfort Suites and Inn.

That hotel is located within Merritt city limits, just opposite the Coquihalla Highway on the northeastern end of Merritt.

RCMP say the call came in at around 1:30am Friday.

It’s not clear how many people were staying in the hotel at the time.

An online video from one of the guests does show a half-dozen or more people outside as the fire is seen throwing embers up from the north side of the hotel.

The video also shows a relatively calm situation among the guests as fire crews work to battle the blaze.

via/Wendy Michael Dunn on Facebook

“All hotel occupants were safely evacuated, with no injuries reported,” said the RCMP in a brief statement on Friday afternoon.

No word at this point where the hotel guests ended up, but at least some of the guests were forced to leave the facility.

Fire investigators and the Merritt RCMP detachment are involved in the investigation, as the fire is considered suspicious at this point.

Radio NL has reached out to Choice Hotels, which operates Comfort Inn and Suites, for further information on damage and impacts to the hotel’s operations and staff.