Council Extends DoubleTree Emergency Declaration
Laredo City Council keeps the emergency declaration in place as engineers work to stabilize the fire-damaged DoubleTree Hotel.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Emergency Response
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Laredo City Council extended the emergency declaration for the DoubleTree Hotel site after an October 7 three-alarm fire. Structural engineers are working to stabilize the building, and the collapse zone and surrounding road closures remain in place.
Why it matters
The building is structurally unsafe, which is why the collapse zone is being maintained. Residents near the site continue to face road closures while stabilization work proceeds.
The October 7 fire was a three-alarm emergency with 97 firefighters on scene at its peak and no fatalities, the first such emergency in Laredo in over 20 years. The cause of the fire and the outcome of the pending investigation and potential litigation have not been made public.
The players
Laredo City Council
The governing body of the City of Laredo, Texas, which voted to extend the emergency declaration for the DoubleTree Hotel site.
Laredo Fire Department
The municipal fire agency that responded to the three-alarm fire at the DoubleTree Hotel and led the search and rescue operation.
The details
Crews pulled all firefighters out after noticing the sixth floor was uneven and a gap was forming between the wall and the floor during search and rescue. Drone footage showed steel tension rods that exploded from intense heat, and the fifth floor has severe damage to support columns and the ceiling.
Timeline
October 7: Fire broke out at the DoubleTree Hotel, with the first fire unit arriving at 12:55 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 2: City Council meeting where the fire chief provided an update.
Dec. 20: Expected completion of building stabilization and likely end of road closures.
Seasonal Patterns
The October 7 DoubleTree fire was the first three-alarm emergency in Laredo in over 20 years, making it a rare event in the city's recent fire record. The emergency declaration now extended by City Council marks an unusually prolonged response for a structure fire in the city.
Drivers near the DoubleTree Hotel should expect the collapse zone and surrounding road closures to remain in place until at least Dec. 20. Residents should follow posted detour signs and avoid the closed area while crews work on stabilization.
The takeaway
Public safety around damaged structures depends on engineering assessment, and the city is keeping the collapse zone in place until stabilization is finished. Following closure signage protects both residents and the crews still working on the building.
What happens next
The collapse zone and road closures are expected to remain in place until at least Dec. 20, when stabilization of the building is projected to be complete.
Further reading
For more on how the city coordinates these incidents, see Emergency Response coverage in Laredo.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Kgns.
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