Several Fresno breweries look to rebuild after downtown building fire. Here’s how to help

A former radiator shop-turned-brewery-incubator in downtown had a fire last week, causing major disruption for at least three Fresno craft beer makers.

The Fresno Fire Department responded to the fire at 411 Broadway Ales & Spirits on Wednesday night and found heavy flames burning the front of the building.

The fire destroyed or damaged a majority of the incubator’s ingredients and equipment, impacting production for Grayview Brewing Co., Zack’s Brewing Company and 411’s tasting room: the Rec Room. Incinerati Brewing Company, which started at the incubator before opening its own facility in Clovis in October, also suffered some losses in the fire.

In a post on Facebook on Thursday, 411 Ales said it didn’t know how or where it would continue production, but said the tasting room would remain open for the time being.

On Monday, owner Joseph Soleno said the brewery still has some product on site at the Rec Room and in another warehouse — but that inventory would likely last a month, at most.

Soleno is working to secure space to fill the gap in production and is pretty confident the Rec Room can remain open without much disruption to it hours. Several breweries have already reached out to offer up tank space.

The incubator program will be put on pause.

Zack’s Brewing Company, which was instrumental in founding Fresno’s brewery district before closing its location on Fulton Street in February, had announced it would be joining the incubator a week before the fire.

Those plans will now be delayed.

“We still intend on reopening with our friends at the incubator,” the brewery wrote in a post on Facebook.

“The main focus now is to help rebuild.”

To that end, a fire relief fund has been set up through GoFundMe. It has already raised $4,375 toward a $10,000 goal.

Fire investigated as arson

While the fire was originally reported as electrical, 411 Ales on Friday posted surveillance video from a neighboring business that seems to show someone starting a fire and then throwing it into the building. The video makes the fire look intentional, Soleno said, though he’s doesn’t think the building was targeted.

The Fresno Department on Monday said it has seen the video and is now investigating the incident as arson, but had no other updates.

Soleno gets choked up just talking about the incident, but said after sharing information on the fire on social media the community has rallied to show its support.

“My phone has been inundated with messages. It’s been overwhelming in a positive way,” he says.

“We’re going to try out best to push through this and come out stronger than we’ve ever been.”

This story was originally published January 3, 2022 at 10:56 AM.