An early morning fire on Sunday destroyed a Ramsay brewery that was something of an institution in the community.
Much of what was the Ol’ Beautiful Brewing Company’s taproom has been reduced to charred debris, as the blaze ripped through the building’s interior and caused its roof to partially collapse.
The Calgary Fire Department says it responded to reports of a fire in the 1100 block of 12th Street S.E. around 2:30 a.m. on Sunday.
Fire crews began by attacking the flames on the outside of the building before they forced their way inside and found the whole of the interior to be engulfed, according to a release.
It took roughly two and a half hours to bring the blaze under control, said the fire department, with crews using hose lines, aerial streams and truck-mounted nozzles to contain it.
After fire ripped through the beloved Inglewood brewery, the owners of Ol’ Beautiful have been left reeling by the sudden end to what was supposed to be a record summer. But there’s still hope for their business, thanks to a recent investment.
An estimated 1.2 million litres of water was required to quell the blaze as Calgary continues to deal with its water main break crisis.
In a livestream on Sunday afternoon related to the city’s feeder main break, Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek reiterated the importance of continued water conservation, specifically referring to the Ol’ Beautiful fire.
“We have had a number of fires that have impacted many Calgarians in their homes and their businesses this past month, while we have also faced a water emergency … I’m grateful to the good people of this city and this region for understanding why saving water is so critical at this point in time,” Gondek said.
Supporters saddened by the news
In a post on Instagram, the brewery described the loss as devastating, and said the “beloved” taproom would be closed for the foreseeable future.
“Our off-site production facility will continue producing all of our tasty beers, which will still be available throughout the province on tap and in retail locations,” read the post.
“We want to extend sincere gratitude to our community for the continued support as we navigate next steps following this devastating loss.”
Chris Carrol, one of the co-owners of Ol’ Beautiful, said he watched the building go up in flames overnight. He said shortly after messages of support started streaming in across the brewery’s social channels.
“Starting at about five in the morning, [I] was getting lots of texts and messages through Instagram from all of our accounts, friends, families sending their love and offering support in any way they can,” said Carol.
“So there’s definitely a sense that that people are saddened by the news but willing to help us out however they can.”
Off-site brewery allows production to continue
Carrol said the silver lining the business will cling to at the moment is their off-site brewery facility, which they invested in eight months ago to keep up to demands for their product.
“It’s going to allow us to grow into the market and continue producing all of our beers,” he said.
“So, you know, a good way to support us through this time is to continue buying our product and, you know, asking your favourite bar restaurant to carry us on tap if we’re not already there.”
Carrol said they don’t own the building that burned down, and isn’t sure what the future holds for rebuilding the taproom at that site.
“We have a great landlord…. It’s been a family building for them for a long time and they’re devastated by this news. So we’ll kind of see what they want to do with the site and kind of respect that it’s a huge loss to them as well.”
Fire hits during peak season
Dan Allard, chair of the Inglewood Business Improvement Area and owner of Cold Garden microbrewery that sits a stone’s throw away from Ol’ Beautiful, said the fire is a blow for both the community and the brewery staff.
“The culture that Ol’ Beautiful’s been able to build is incredible, between supporting the music scene and just having like a nice open environment for people to hang out in,” said Allard.
With the Calgary Stampede around the corner, and extra staff having just been hired and trained to work the taproom’s patio for its busiest season, Allard said that all the brewery has worked toward has disappeared overnight.
“It’s a really tough position for Ol’ Beautiful to be in and I really feel for them.”
No injuries reported
No people were injured in the fire, according to the fire department.
“While firefighters were unable to enter and search the structure, it is not expected that the structure had any occupants at the time of the fire,” read a CFD release.
“Investigators are on scene working to determine the cause and origin of the fire, and crews will be on scene for quite some time.”
Scott Cowan, fire battalion chief with the CFD, said the building’s age could have played a role in how quickly the fire spread — as part of the roof structure, for example, was made of straw.
The building’s walls, on the other hand, are made of cinder blocks, which helped play a role in keeping the flames contained, Cowan said.