The Insane But True Story of the Man Who Saved an Entire Burning Hotel
A fire broke out at the Superior & Sage Hotel in Superior, Wisconsin, on the night of February 24, 2026. Flames spread through the building, which was under renovation, and firefighters later withdrew crews after part of the roof collapsed. By then, seven people had already been rescued, and damage was estimated at nearly $1 million. The outcome could have been far worse. Instead, the incident became an extraordinary rescue story.
A Fishing Trip Turns Into A Crisis
Image via Canva/Viktor Gladkov
Bill Zezza was in Superior for a fishing trip and staying at the Superior & Sage Hotel at 525 Hammond Avenue. Just after 11 p.m. on Monday, he saw flames shooting about 10 feet high near the property. The building was undergoing renovations at the time, and cardboard boxes were piled high along both sides of the sidewalk. Zezza later said those boxes appeared to be what initially caught fire. Fire crews would eventually describe it as a large exterior fire spreading to the eaves of the structure. But before engines arrived, Zezza was already moving.
One Extinguisher Wasn’t Enough
Image via Canva/Stoica Adrian’s Images
He grabbed a fire extinguisher, pulled the pin, and started spraying. The heat forced him to use a door as a shield. When the first extinguisher ran out, he found another. At first, he believed he could contain it, but he later said he almost had it under control with a couple of extinguishers and thought more might have finished the job.
The temperature inside kept rising, and accessing additional extinguishers became harder as the fire spread. Zezza broke glass cases to reach more units and kept going back into the building. He also pulled the fire alarm to alert other guests. At one point, he decided to try fighting the fire from the opposite side of the building near a Kwik Trip. He moved through the property while others were evacuating, and by his own account, he went through every fire extinguisher in the building.
The Fire Escalates Fast
While Zezza worked, the fire moved upward. Flames spread to the roof and into the attic space. Firefighters arriving on scene found guests actively evacuating and rescued at least seven people. One person sought medical attention after possible smoke inhalation and later said she was grateful to be alive.
A partial roof collapse forced crews to pull out of the structure. The blaze continued burning for hours and was finally extinguished just after 4 a.m. Tuesday. Duluth fire crews assisted at the scene, and damage estimates reached around $1 million.
“It Should’ve Never Gotten To This Point”
Officials on scene later told Zezza that his actions likely saved the lives of people who were not on the ground floor by buying them time to escape safely. Despite the praise, Zezza sounded more stunned than triumphant. He said he was amazed it escalated the way it did and believed it should not have reached that point. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.