Fire at Old Medina Winery destroys buildling
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NORTH JACKSON — Fire officials said the main building at the Old Medina Winery is a total loss after an early morning fire Saturday. Flames engulfed the building around 3 a.m., and investigators were called in shortly after. Madison County Fire Chief Eric Turner said the Jackson Fire Department was called to the scene around 3 a.m. “Once they arrived, they realized this building is located just inside the county, so they notified our agency to respond,” Turner said. Turner said it didn’t take the fire department long to get the fire under control but that the building is a complete loss. Turner said they are still investigating where and how the fire started. “There’s reasons to believe that it is suspicious, so we’re probably going to take a little extra time to dig through and find out what really happened,” Turner said. Turner said a guest staying at the Renaissance Hotel across the way was the first to notice the flames. “A guest noticed that there was smoke outside, came in and told the front desk, the front desk went out to confirm,” said Brandon Philpart, manager of the Renaissance Hotel. “They saw that it was engulfed in flames, they called the fire department, and they came out right away.” The owners of the property told WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News they did not want to speak about what happened, but Turner said the winery has been closed now for six years. People in the area said they are sad to see this happen. “It’s a gem in the city,” Philpart said. “It’s a beautiful building. We’re sad to see it go.” Others in the area had similar reactions. “I really enjoyed the Old Medina Winery when it was open,” Old Medina Market clerk Chrystal Tims said. “I hate that it shut down. I was really hoping that it would reopen, so the fire is really devastating.” Turner said the heavier the damage, the longer it will take to investigate. He said once the investigation is over they will turn it over to the owner’s insurance company. The fire department does not think there was any wine inside the building.
