Hoquiam, WA -Electrical hazards and other unsafe conditions have led the state Department of Health to immediately suspend the license of the Sandstone Motel in Grays Harbor County. The motel, located at 2424 Aberdeen Ave. in Hoquiam, poses an immediate threat to guests.

According to investigators, the motel may have violated construction, maintenance, electrical, fire, and safety codes. The motel must be vacated by midnight, December 16; the state health department is working with city officials to help guests in need of housing. The Sandstone Motel can’t reopen until a hearing is held.

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The alleged conditions in the motel rooms included: electrical wiring that had been charred by a recent fire at the facility; a fire extinguisher that no longer held a charge; mold and water damage to some units; and other unsanitary conditions. The motel owner has 10 days to request a prompt hearing and 28 days to contest these charges.

Motels offering three or more units to guests for less than 30 days must be licensed by the state’s Facilities and Services Licensing Program. The program licenses about 1,700 motels, hotels, inns, resorts, and bed and breakfast facilities in the state. It enforces health and safety standards for those establishments.