3 construction workers, 1 investigator hurt at historic Hotel Bentley fire in Alexandria

A two-alarm fire Friday morning at the historic Hotel Bentley in downtown Alexandria sent three construction workers and a fire investigator to hospitals, but the hotel reopened by the afternoon.

Part of the north wall facing Jackson Street was covered in black soot. Motorists slowed to look at the damage Friday afternoon.

Over on the main entrance site on Desoto Street, vans and trailers from disaster restoration company Servpro were parked. Workers were carrying fans into the lobby, and the buildings doors were propped open. A faint smell of smoke lingered in the air.

The city of Alexandria, in a news release issued early Friday afternoon, said the two-alarm fire was reported at 8:46 a.m. and was controlled within 18 minutes of the first unit arriving one minute after the alarm.

No information was released on the extent of the workers' injuries. The fire investigator's injuries were called minor, and the release stated the investigator had been treated and released from a local hospital.

The hotel had confirmed the fire and one injury in a Facebook post to its page earlier Friday. On Friday afternoon, the hotel posted a second update that said "occupancy has been reissued, and the property is back online with fire protection in place."

Servpro was extracting water, according to the post.

It also stated the fire never breached the property itself. Heat shattered two windows, which let smoke onto the second floor.

"The interior of Hotel Bentley has very little smoke damage and is isolated to a mezzanine level office," it continues. "Guest rooms, event spaces and the Grand Lobby remain untouched with the exception of the registration desk. The Hotel Bentley systems performed in the manner intended. Evacuation was timely, fire suppression systems performed accordingly."

Earlier on Friday, officials wouldn't confirm to former Town Talk journalist Jim Smilie, who was on the scene, if there were any injuries. But they did tell him the fire apparently began with some workers on a roof.

A statement posted later in the morning to the hotel's Facebook page confirmed the fire and injury that happened as a lower-level roof was being replaced. All the hotel's guests and employees were evacuated.

The Alexandria Fire Department "did an exceptional job at responding and extinguishing the fire. One roof worker received burns and is being sent to the burn center.

"There is damage to the property, mostly exterior and water resulting from the fire suppressions systems. The building responded appropriately by activating all emergency systems and alerts. The Hotel Bentley has been through a lot over the years and this will be another notch to add to the rich history of the Hotel Bentley. THANK YOU to everyone in our community for reaching out to offer assistant (sic)!"

The city said four engine companies, two aerial companies, three medical units, two district chiefs, an investigative unit and command staff responded to the fire. The Louisiana State Fire Marshal's Office also assisted.

The Hotel Bentley, which was built in 1907, is the historic anchor of downtown Alexandria and a signature property in all of Louisiana.

The hotel has a storied history, starting with the legend that builder Joseph Bentley decided to open a grand hotel after he had been refused service at another Alexandria hotel because of he didn’t meet its dress code.

The Bentley opened in 1908 with 172 rooms, a ballroom and its grand lobby. Bentley spent about $750,000 on its construction.

At its opening, it was described as “radiantly beautiful” by The Weekly Town Talk and compared to hotels in New York City and London. An “immense number of visitors” turned out in the evening to see the hotel lit up by his own electric lighting plant, reads the account.

Bentley lived at the hotel and died in 1939, so he never got to see the importance his hotel played during World War II. Military leaders like generals George Patton and Omar Bradley, along with future President Dwight Eisenhower, all stayed at the hotel during the Louisiana Maneuvers, which trained troops for the battlefield.

But the hotel went bankrupt in the late 1960s and sat closed for decades before being renovated and reopened by investors led by Buddy Tudor. The hotel was sold in the 1990s, then closed again.

Former Alexandria resident Bob Dean bought the Bentley in 1998. He considered housing low-income elderly people in the hotel, but that idea was rejected by the city. After renovations, he reopened it but closed it in 2004.

It remained closed until current owner Mike Jenkins bought it, who opened it for a public tour in November 2012 before beginning more renovations. Jenkins’ efforts to revitalize the Bentley and downtown Alexandria earned him the nickname “Mr. Downtown.”

Return to The Town Talk for more details on this developing story.

Greg Hilburn covers Louisiana politics for the USA Today Network. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.

This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: Historic Hotel Bentley in Alexandria damaged by fire; 4 people hurt