The Ontario Provincial Police closed down one of the main thoroughfares in Kenora, Ont., Friday, after thick, dark clouds of smoke filled the air surrounding an iconic lakefront hotel.

Amy Mosionier, a Kenora resident who lives about two blocks away from the Clarion Lakeside Inn and Conference Centre, told CBC News she saw the massive clouds of smoke around 3 p.m. CST Friday.

"It was hard to tell [the cause of the fire] until we got down there, because there was a lot of smoke coming our way," Mosionier said.

"My son's school is within about 300 yards away [from the hotel], so I was just rushing down there to make sure that it wasn't the school," she added.

Mosionier said everyone in the hotel had already been evacuated by the time she and her husband arrived at the scene.

While speaking with CBC News early Friday evening, Mosionier said fire trucks were still on the scene, but flames were no longer visible.