30 May 2008 - The Matt Brewery, also known as the Saranac Brewery, located in Utica, in the state of New York was severely damaged by a fire on Thursday.
It is understood that the fire, which took nearly 15 hours to extinguish, caused significant damage to the building and has destroyed close to one-fifth of the brewery's production lines.
The fire was reportedly caused by a spark set off by a piece of equipment near a can line. The fire then spread quickly through the room, which contained cardboard packing supplies and made its way to the bottling building.
No workers, neighbours or fire fighters were injured in the fire, however, two Matt employees were treated for smoke inhalation.
Established in 1888, Matt Brewing Company is the third oldest family-owned brewery in the US. The brewery makes Saranac, Matt's and Utica Club beer brands. During the Prohibition, the company stayed afloat by producing soft drinks under the label Utica Club. After the end of Prohibition, Utica Club became the name of the brewery's flagship beer. The company then became popular throughout the Northeast based on Utica Club and its current flagship beer, Saranac.