[Noozhawk’s note: A suspect was arrested in the case, Santa Maria police reported Sunday. Click here for more information.]

Santa Maria police and firefighters are credited with helping dozens of people escape a fast-moving fire at a small residential hotel early Saturday.

The blaze was reported shortly before 2:30 a.m. at the Town Center Hotel, 215 N. Broadway, according to Santa Maria Fire Chief Dan Orr.

“Police officers on scene reported fire on the first floor and spreading to the second floor,” Orr said. “Officers were assisting people with evacuation until smoke conditions inside forced the officers out.”

A ladder truck was positioned on the north side of the structure, closest to Mill Street, allowing people to escape from the second-floor roof, Orr said.

“Occupants were hanging out of their windows on the south side of the hotel due to heavy smoke conditions,” he noted.

Firefighters used 35-foot ladders on the south side of the structure and rescued four people from third-floor windows, said Orr, who credited the work of other fire crews who were battling the blaze.

Five people were taken to Marian Regional Medical Center and two to Lompoc Valley Medical Center, but none had serious injuries, Orr said.

No firefighters were injured.

Forty-three people were left homeless, and a shelter was set up at the Minami Center.

“The fire appears to be suspicious and is being treated a crime scene,” Orr said. “Santa Maria Police Department is leading the investigation with assistance from the Santa Barbara County Arson Task Force.”

Assisting in the firefight were crews from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, the San Luis County Fire Department, the Lompoc Fire Department and the Five Cities Fire Authority.

The American Red Cross Santa Barbara County and the Salvation Army responded to assist with shelter, transportation and feeding of the occupants and the first responders.

A preliminary damage estimate was $1 million for the structure and $400,000 for contents.

— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.