(photo ripped from WKTV)
My bloggy silence (don’t ask) has to break over this terrible news: Utica’ NY’s F.X. Matt, makers of Utica Club and Saranac (and contract brewers of, among many other brands, Brooklyn Brewery) have had a fire this evening in the building that houses their canning line. Details are still not totally in- the cause of the fire and the full extent of the damage, for example, but a few things are clear. First of all, although two employees seem to have been hospitalized, there are no deaths or even serious injuries reported: Great news. Secondly, there does appear to be some danger to the fumes. Large amounts of plastic are also stored in this building, for wrapping six-packs and so forth, so there is concern over toxicity. Additionally, the blaze is not too far off from a large amonia tank, which, if it heats up too much, could be explosive. The building itself is already definitely going to come down due to structural damage from the heat and now water. This seems to be a substantial blaze, sadly.

Notwithstanding, Saranac is hardly finished as a company, and it seems likely that the elegant tasting room and the main brewing operations will emerge unscathed. NY’s Governor David Patterson has already commented that “the state will help out with economic development aid or whatever [is] needed,” and ower Fred Matt himself described the setback as only “a speedbump” (link here)

Further developments in the comments as necessary. Link here to video of owner Fred Matt on WKTV, and the story on WSYR.“