This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Smoke that forced evacuation of Ogden's historic Ben Lomond Hotel over the weekend turned out to literally a case of hot pants.
At 2:20 p.m. Sunday, smoke was reported billowing in the 126-year-old structure's basement and first and second floors. Fearing the worst, firefighters cleared guests and staff from all 13 floors of the hotel.
Deputy Fire Chief Eric Bauman said crews checked each of the floors and put ventilation fans on those affected, but could not find a source for the fire inside the building.
The mystery was solved shortly thereafter, when firefighters discovered someone had deliberately ignited a pair of pants in the outside stairway of the adjacent Courtyard Inn. Smoke from the blazing britches was drawn into the Ben Lomond's nearby ventilation shaft, into the hotel's basement and then began to spread upward.
Firefighters soaked the smoldering slacks, and once the smoke was cleared from the hotel guests and staff were allowed to return, Bauman said.
There were no injuries and no damage was reported to the hotel.
However, with 17 firefighters being mustered from both Ogden and neighboring South Ogden — along with three ladder trucks, a fire engine and ambulance — authorities want to know who torched the trousers.
Anyone with information can call Ogden public safety dispatchers at 801-395-8221.
Twitter: @remims