This story was updated Tuesday, March 3, with more information on the cause of the fire.

A two-alarm fire Saturday, Feb. 28, that damaged Ninkasi Brewing Company in Eugene was deemed an accident, per the Eugene Springfield Fire Marshal.

An equipment malfunction inside the brewing company’s production facility caused overheating and the subsequent fire, Deputy Chief Fire Marshal Travis Worthington said on Tuesday, March 3.

The fire started above the building’s sprinkler system, which is why it did not activate, Worthington added. 

Crews responded to the commercial structure fire at about 6:30 p.m. on the 200 block of Van Buren Street, in Eugene’s Whiteaker neighborhood, according to a news release from Eugene Springfield Fire.

Eugene Springfield Fire reported “extensive overhaul on the roof” inside Ninkasi Brewing’s production facility Saturday, Feb. 28. Credit: Eugene Springfield Fire

Firefighters on the scene reported fire as well as heavy smoke near the brewery’s production area inside. 

Firefighters contained the fire to the production area. Suppressing the fire there “required extensive overhaul on the roof,” officials said in the statement, adding that a second engine was called in to help stop the blaze.

Fire crews evacuated all building occupants before attacking the fire, and no injuries were reported.

Lookout Eugene-Springfield contacted Ninkasi Brewing Monday. We will update this story with any responses and when more information is available. 

Ninkasi is one of Oregon’s most notable beer producers. In 2023, the Eugene-based craft beer company merged with California-based Wings & Arrow to form Great Frontier Holdings. The company’s current portfolio includes Ecliptic Brewing, Ashland Hard Seltzer and Incline Cider House.

Taylor Goebel covers Lane County's food and drink scene. She has nearly a decade of experience in multimedia journalism, having reported across the Mid-Atlantic on dining, food systems, education, healthcare, local elections, labor and business. She was most recently a food reporter in Washington state, where she documented a fourth-generation fishing family, covered a David vs. Goliath conflict between a national coffee chain and a small Turkish cafe, and had many culinary firsts, from ensaymadas and gilgeori (Korean street) toast to morels and black cod.