Assistant Fire Chief Denis Poulin (white shirt) talks with firefighters who searched the Coast Inn Sunday afternoon. Photos 250News

Prince George, B.C. – Prince George Fire Rescue and other emergency personnel were called out to a reported hotel fire in the downtown core Sunday afternoon.

Assistant Fire Chief Deni Poulin tells 250 News that at approximately 2:30 pm Sunday “15 members from three halls were called to a report of smoke on the 9^th floor” of the Coast Inn of the North, 770 Brunswick Street.  A/C Poulin says “when crews arrived we did a search of the building and found nothing.  We did a secondary search and found a pop vending machine had a fan inside that was producing a little bit of smoke which had activated the alarms.”

The vending machine was on the ninth floor as well, and Poulin says the situation was dealt with and came to a conclusion.

Smoke had been reported on the top floor of the hotel.

Asked whether guests of the hotel had to be evacuated the assistant chief says “the ninth floor was evacuated, the remaining patrons stayed in the hotel until we gave them the all clear.”

Prince George RCMP and the B.C. Ambulance Service also had several personnel on scene in the event their services were required.