Fire destroys only hotel left in Kyle, Sask.

A fire Wednesday night left the Kyle Hotel a pile of rubble.

“It’s ashes now, with a bit of flame here and there,” Don Moar, owner of the Farmer’s Grill and Family Restaurant next door told 980 CJME.

A waitress at the restaurant called him about the blaze around 5:30 p.m.

“I was ordered out by police in case the fire jumped,” Moar said. “We sat out there and just watched.”

After about three hours Moar and his staff were allowed back inside his restaurant.

According to Moar fire crews were able to keep the flames contained to the hotel with just some smoke damage to the corner of his building.

Kyle Mayor Doug Barker calls the fire a blow to the community.

“We lost our local motel last year,” he said. “Now we have no place for people to stay in town.”

According to Barker, the hotel was built in 1946 and had become a landmark and gathering place for people in the community.

“Our men came at 6 a.m. for their morning coffee, and then the ladies took over at 10 a.m,” Barker said. “I mean it was well loved.”

Barker, a volunteer EMT, expected firefighters to be at the scene overnight Wednesday dealing with hot spots.

It is not clear what caused the fire.

Kyle is located 73 kilometres north of Swift Current on Highway 4