Pierre Hotel Destroyed in Fire

The 101 room Capitol Inn & Suites in Pierre caught fire late Tuesday afternoon. Firefighters are now in 'defensive mode' as they attempt to stop the blaze from spreading to other buildings. The hotel is a total loss.

The fire spread through the open attic and according to the Pierre Capital Journal, a room exploded, completely engulfing the hotel in flames.

One firefighter has sustained what is being termed as minor injuries while fighting the fire.

A body was found in the burned out hotel, but the fire chief says the death was unrelated to the fire. Reports are that the elderly woman lived in the hotel, was in poor health and hadn't been seen in a couple of days.

There is no word yet on the cause of the fire.