PLATTSBURGH — A raging fire consumed the 112-room Comfort Inn and Suites hotel today causing millions of dollars in damage.

Flames sparked inside the hotel’s indoor pool and sauna area around noon and quickly spread to engulf the Court Club gym, Legends Sports Bar and Perkins Restaurant that were housed inside the hotel.

“We were doing laundry and bringing something to the Court Club when a guy ran out of the pool and said there was smoke,” Comfort Inn housekeeper Michelle Braid said as she huddled beneath a blanket and tried to stay warm in the drizzling afternoon rain.

“When we opened the door it was on fire. We ran out and started yelling and they pulled the alarm. Then we just starting running and yelling for everyone to get out.

“That was our first concern. Making sure everyone got out safely.”

Terry Meron, co-owner of the entire complex, was in San Diego when the fire started. He was flying back this afternoon.

“I’m teetering on crying all the time,” Meron said, speaking by phone from the plane. “This is just a disaster. I’m just happy no one was hurt.”

He expects to arrive at Albany International Airport at 11 p.m. and drive back to Plattsburgh.

“I’ve been communicating with a lot of my staff back there and my insurance agents,” he said. “I’ve never been through anything like this, so, I’ll be figuring it out.”

As dozens of firefighters tried to douse the inferno that sent a layer of deep gray smoke drifting across Consumer Square, the Westfield State men’s basketball team watched in shock as the fire ripped through the hotel they were staying in while in town for the Cardinal Classic at Plattsburgh State.

“We were just hanging out when we heard a lady yell there was a fire,” one player said.

“We looked out and saw all the smoke and got out,” said one of his teammates. “All of our stuff — our jerseys, laptops and clothes — are still in there.”

The scene was chaotic for hours into the afternoon as more than a dozen fire trucks boxed around the hotel and volunteers tried to contain the blaze.

“We haven’t had a fire in a commercial building like this in a long time,” said Scott Ewing, a deputy fire coordinator for Clinton County.