From David Thew: “Olde Towne Brewing Company burned down in the middle of the night. I spoke with Don Alan Hankins awhile ago. I am heading there to be with him after this email. Fire officials call it a total loss. Pray for Don Alan. Take time to intercede for him. He is a new believer and this will be devastating.”

WHNT.com has coverage of this event here: http://whnt.com/Global/story.asp?S=6748435

No person was hurt in this fire. Over 40 firefighters were on the scene. The fire started around 2:30 am this morning. The buildings beside the Olde Towne Brewery building were not damaged. The fire is under control. WHNT has coverage the fire on their website.

We will be praying for Don Alan and those associated with the building and the brewery business. Don Alan has been so gracious to Sojourn and other churches and organizations. He has added much value into the Huntsville community by donating time, money, and space.

Update: AL.com’s Marian Accardi interviewed Don Alan. Here’s the text from her story on AL.com:

Old Towne Brewing Co. owner and master brewer Don Alan Hankins said this morning he wants to rebuild the microbrewery that was destroyed by fire overnight.

Hankins didn’t know the extent of damage to the equipment in the building, including four large fermenters. About $5,000 worth of beer that was to be shipped today was in the walk-in cooler.

“I’d like to keep Old Towne Brewing Co. going, I just don’t know where,” he said.

The business at 214 Holmes Ave.. represents “a couple of million dollars” worth of investment, said Hankins, and “a lot of blood, sweat and tears.”

“I’m seeing all this” destruction, Hankins said, “and all I can think about is my cat.” His cat, Hops, lived at the brewing business and hadn’t been found as of this morning.

City building inspectors determined Thursday morning that the building is structurally unsafe, said James Tabor, the assistant fire marshal. The city’s Public Works was called on to bring in heavy equipment to remove the east wall of the building and any fallen beams, he said.

“The fire marshal’s office will conduct an investigation after it’s safe,” Tabor said. “This is going to be an all-day process, and we may be here into the night. We’re trying to save the front wall,” said Tabor.

Jimmy Ivey, district chief with Huntsville Fire & Rescue, said firefighters were battling the blaze inside the building for about 30 minutes when they noticed that the air-conditioning units were sagging. Firefighters were pulled from the building, and about five minutes later, the roof collapsed.