Fire scare late Tuesday at Fairview Heights hotel

Guests and staff at a Fairview Heights hotel had a late-night scare Tuesday.

According to fire department reports, a call was received at 11:45 p.m. Tuesday about the smell of burning plastic in parts of the Four Points Sheraton at 319 Fountains Parkway.

Firefighters armed with a thermal imaging unit – which can detect hot spots on the interior of walls and in ceiling areas – rushed to the hotel and gave it a thorough check. They found no danger and guests were allowed to go back to bed.

Further investigation later determined a bad belt in an air conditioning unit was responsible for the burning smell.

This story was originally published August 26, 2015 at 6:47 AM with the headline "Fire scare late Tuesday at Fairview Heights hotel."