The cause of the fire is under investigation, but brewery personnel told the NOFD that contractors had been on site earlier Friday performing roofing repairs.
“There were no injuries reported and an investigation will be conducted to determine whether the roofing work was the actual cause of the fire,” the NOFD said in a news release.
The fire was reported at 10:26 p.m. Firefighters arrived at 10:39 p.m. and sounded a second alarm for more personnel at 10:48 p.m. Twelve NOFD units carrying 38 firefighters responded to battle the fire.
The NOFD said all night shift employees of the brewery had been evacuated from the building. According to a shift manager, shortly after a fire alarm went off, employees noticed smoke permeating from the ceiling. The heat generated by the roof fire set off the building’s sprinkler alarm system.
Saints and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson is the principal owner of the brewing company. She and late husband Tom Benson bought the majority stake in the former Dixie Brewing in 2017 and brought the brand back from out of state, after it had relocated following Hurricane Katrina. The new brewery opened in New Orleans East and started production in late 2019.
The enterprise was renamed the Faubourg Brewing Co. in 2020 and produces six flagship beers. It was not immediately clear whether production will be impacted by Friday night’s fire.
