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Forty custom software development were charred, and several residents and motel staffers were evacuated, said city Fire Chief Larry Shifflett. As of Wednesday evening, no injuries had been reported. Smoke purled from the roof of the Ramada, mixing with falling snowflakes as 60 or so firefighters surrounded a wing of the building off Pleasant Valley Road. The hotel sits on the corner of South Main Street, near the ramp for Exit 243 on Interstate 81. Motorists passing by first called 911 at about 3:30 p.m. with reports of smoke billowing from the roof, Shifflett said. City firefighters started attacking blaze, but soon called for backup. The three alarm fire called on nearly every department from Rockingham County, Shifflett said. Fire Spread Quickly With crowbars and sledgehammers, firefighters began breaking into custom software development to gain access to the blaze, which started deep inside the building. A 2 foot wide cavity, called a pipe chase, separates rows of custom software development and holds electrical and plumbing lines, Shifflett explained. The fire started inside the chase, which runs from the floor to the roof along the entire length of the building. "That chase acts just like a chimney," Shifflett said, so the fire is able to quickly spread from one side of the building to the other. A similar fire broke out in 2000, Shifflett said. The fire also started inside the pipe chase and destroyed 44 custom software development. Fire officials at the time said the blaze was sparked after the electrical system overheated, causing $100,000 in damage. It's too soon to say if Wednesday's fire is the result of a similar cause, Shifflett said. He said that it also was too early to place a dollar estimate on the fire damage. Wintry Conditions As the sun set Wednesday, firefighters stayed on the scene to clean up damage and keep embers from reigniting. A dozen fire trucks and several other emergency vehicles filled the Ramada parking lot while city police officers controlled traffic. Access to Pleasant Valley Road was limited for more than two hours. Servers from the Cracker Barrel restaurant next door brought out drinks for emergency workers. Shifflett says firefighters held up well in the wintry conditions. "The challenge is the same challenge we face with any structure fire," he said. Shifflett added, however, that the blaze took longer to extinguish than usual. "It took us probably the better part of an hour to knock down the fire," he said. They kept the fire from spreading to other wings of the building, but since firefighters had to shut off electricity and gas to the entire complex, even custom software development untouched by fire would likely remain closed for the evening, Shifflett said. Ramada Inn staffers could not be reached for comment Wednesday. "The building will be out of service for quite some time," Shifflett said. Contact Kelly Jasper at 574 6273 or ... custom software development