By Neil Doyle

NORMAL – A fire Thursday morning caused heavy damage to a small coffee and souvenir shop in the lobby of the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Uptown Normal.

The fire happened around 7:33 a.m. in the lobby cafe, according to Normal Fire spokesperson Matt Swaney.  A hotel employee attempted to extinguish the blaze with a portable fire extinguisher, but within a few moments the fire sprinklers in the café turned on and began flowing water to slow the spread of the fire.

When firefighters arrived, they reported limited visibility due to smoke conditions in the lobby.  It took crews about 25 minutes to extinguish the blaze.  Hotel employees helped guests exit the building.  No injuries were reported.

There is heavy fire damage within the café itself, and water damage throughout the lobby, according to Swaney.   He said the café will remain closed, but the hotel remains open and operations will not affected.

A dollar estimate of the damage was not available.  The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Neil Doyle can be reached at [email protected]