The hotel and bar in St. Benedict burned to the ground Wednesday night.

Darlene Peters, who owns the nearby Treehouse Treasures, got a call at 12:30 a.m. warning of the blaze.

“We looked out our window and it was in full flames already. You could see the bar was on fire, and the hotel part. And that was at 12:30 a.m. By 1:30 a.m., it had got to the house part. And it’s gone. It’s completely down,” she said.

The Humboldt Fire Department responded shortly after midnight to a request for help from Three Lakes Fire Department, Chief Mike Kwasnica said.

The building was fully engulfed when they arrived and the fire is under investigation.

Peters, who owned the hotel from 1994 to 1998, said this is a big loss for the community.

“You worry that it will probably never be rebuilt. It was a hub. (The owner) served meals every Friday and a big supper, and lots of people went for the supper and it was kind of a way for the community to get together.

“It’s a sad day.”