OTTAWA - The historic Ottawa Chateau Laurier Hotel suffered $250,000 in damage this morning when a fire broke out in a second-floor executive boardroom.

Several lower floors of the downtown hotel were evacuated and traffic was snarled for more than an hour during the morning rush as firefighters battled the flames.

A 53-year-old man was taken to hospital with minor smoke inhalation, according to Ottawa paramedics.

Fire department spokesman Marc Messier said the 7:45 a.m. blaze was quickly brought under control and most of the damage was from water.

An Ottawa fire service release said the fire was caused by a food heating tray set up for a breakfast in the boardroom.

There is extensive damage to the area of the fire and to the reception area below.

Hotel staff at first tried to put out the fire with extinguishers and the hotel's sprinkler system kicked in and put out the remaining flames.

Fire crews reported heavy smoke conditions on the mezzanine level and used fans to clear smoke from the main level, the mezzanine and the floor above the fire.