BUTTE — A historic building in Butte that housed two bars and a brewery was badly damaged by fire early Thursday, Butte-Silver Bow fire officials said.
The fire was reported shortly before 3 a.m. Fire Chief Jeff Miller said the flames were too intense for firefighters to remain in the building and they fought the blaze from outside.
The roof collapsed and the interior of the building was heavily damaged, officials said. Firefighters were still spraying water on the building at 7 a.m. No one was in the building at the time the fire started and no injuries were reported.
The building housed the Irish Times bar, The Post wine and martini bar and the Muddy Creek Brewery. It was built in 1922 for The Butte Daily Post newspaper.
The two-story brick and concrete building, a liquor license and gaming license were for sale for $775,000, listing agent Airika Lakkala with Berkshire Hathaway told The Associated Press Thursday.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
“The state fire marshal is going to help us out on this one because of the size of the structure,” Miller told The Montana Standard.