Fire destroys what remained of Richmond’s historic International Hotel

What was left of Richmond's historic International Hotel turned to ashes late Tuesday afternoon after its charred framework had been left sitting amidst garbage and rubble for more than two years following a previous fire in 2023.

Richmond Deputy Fire Chief Rico Rincon said firefighters responded just before 5 p.m. Tuesday to a fire at the property that had previously burned.

“Our first alarm crews arrived on scene. Smoke was visible from Carlson and neighboring areas,” Rincon said. “We previously had fires at this building. There were only a few walls still standing from the old hotel property.”

Richmond Deputy Fire Chief Rico Rincon details the fire department’s response to the International Hotel fire on Tuesday, November 4, 2025.

The response included four fire engines, one fire truck, and one supporting engine from El Cerrito, according to Rincon.

“Our initial plan was to attack the fire as well as search those to make sure we didn’t have any occupants there,” Rincon said. “Those searches provided all clear.”

“We’re going to have some crews from Public Works come in and bring some heavy equipment to help us get into some of the deep-seated areas of the fire,” he said. “Then we’ll let our investigators try to determine the cause. We’ll be here for quite some time.”

Residents gathered across the street from the International Hotel on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Photo/ Soren Hemmila

Omar Rojas, whose parents own the property next door, said the property has frequent visitors.

“There’s a lot of people going in and out living here. The city does well on kicking them out, but we didn’t think it would happen again,” Rojas said. “The flames were pretty high. So I don’t know if they used gasoline or who knows.”

The hotel, where the Pullman Brotherhood of Black Sleeping Car Porters Union members would stay during Richmond's early years, was reduced to a burnt frame in April of 2023 in an intense early morning blaze that gutted the building.

The property at 396 South Street was formerly owned by Richmond activist Ethel Dotson and was located near the Pullman Rail Car Shops, which closed in 1959. South Street was recently renamed Ethel Dotson South Street in an effort by the Pullman Neighborhood Council to honor Dotson, who passed away in 2007.

The property's current owner is Dotson's son, Kariti Eric Hartman.

Since the fire in 2023, the property has been a dumping ground for garbage, old mattresses, and discarded goods.

In the fall of 2023, the Pullman Neighborhood Council held a discussion that included councilmembers Doria Robinson and Gayle McLaughlin, as well as Hartman, to explore ideas – including a vision of transforming the property into a cultural center dedicated to preserving the history of the hotel and the surrounding neighborhood.

In the months following the discussion, plans failed to materialize, and the hotel continued to deteriorate due to exposure to the elements.

“Our fire investigators and our fire marshal are here currently,” Rincon said. “They’ll be doing some interviews and questions to try to determine the cause and see if there’s any information that helps us out with that.”

SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM - SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Grandview Independent needs your financial support to continue delivering the news that matters to our community. Quality journalism costs money, and we can't do it without readers like you.

SUBSCRIBE NOW and get:
• Unlimited access to all articles
• Newsletters with exclusive content
• The satisfaction of backing independent local news that serves your community

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE - Starting at just $10/month

FOLLOW US FOR BREAKING NEWS:
• Twitter: @GrandviewIndy
• Instagram: @GrandviewIndependent
• Facebook: @Grandview Independent