PETERSBURG, Va. (WRIC) — Several residents at the OYO Hotel in Petersburg have been left in the dark, without power for almost three days after a fire took place at the hotel Tuesday evening.
Walter Aldrich, a resident of the hotel, said that “the lights have been out for almost three days now.” Since Tuesday, Aldrich has been without power and air conditioning and has been standing outside of the building to try and get some relief from his hot room.
“The TVs don’t work and there is absolutely no power,” Aldrich said.
When the hotel went up in smoke, one of the rooms on the first floor was completely burned, with personal items and insulation scattered outside of the room.
The flames from the fire had also seared through the hotel’s electrical wiring.
Aldrich said that while he was told someone was coming to fix the power, nobody has been there.
“We all have to suffer now. It’s getting worse and worse,” he said.
When 8News reached out to OYO Hotel management with Aldrich’s concerns about receiving poor treatment and the lack of electricity, an OYO Hotel manager said it wasn’t true. According to management, the power has only not been turned on for those who have not paid their daily rent.
“A lot of folks didn’t want to leave but they’re not paying either,” hotel management said.
Aldrich told 8News that he has paid his rent, but he believes management has been slow to restore his power because of how outspoken he has been about conditions at the hotel and said he’s “had enough of it.”
Tonight, a notice was posted outside of the OYO on a window of the section of the hotel where the fire occurred that has sent residents scrambling. The notice reads, “This structure is unsafe and its occupancy (or use) is prohibited by the code official.”
8News is continuing to work and get answers from Petersburg city officials about what this means for residents, and when they are expected to leave.
