Georgetown club Blues Alley was damaged in a fire Tuesday evening.
D.C. Fire and EMS received a call for a fire in the ductwork before 6:30 p.m.
Firefighters found fire burning through the attic and roof of the building located at 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW, just south of M Street NW. They had to pull down ceiling portions and debris to get to the blaze between the top floor and the attic, D.C. fire officials said.
The building was evacuated, and firefighters brought the fire under control and ventilated the building.
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Blues Alley’s owner Harry Schnipper, who has owned the club for more than 25 years, said the building was damaged by fire, water and smoke. The smoke began to fill the dining room just before the 7 p.m. show and only a few people were in the building at the time.
Contractors had been working on the roof earlier in the day.
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Despite the damage, the club remains hopeful.
"Blues Alley will not be defeated. Blues Alley survived the pandemic and Blues Alley will survive this setback," the club posted in a now deleted tweet.
Blues Alley has been a destination for music lovers for nearly sixty years. The small Georgetown nightclub was once a carriage house.
Grammy nominated producer and jazz historian Zev Feldman said the fire could have been a devastating loss.
“To me, it serves as a reminder that we can all be going out and supporting these venues,” Feldman said. “Blues Alley is an iconic room, it's one of the most famous jazz cubs in our nation's history and it's right here in Washington.”
The day after the fire, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser dropped by to support the nightclub. The Blues Alley staff began the cleanup and rebuilding process.
Two-time Grammy winner Jon Carroll, who has played the club many times and was scheduled to play at the club next week, said he wants to believe Blues Alley will be around forever.
“Some things are meant to last, and Blues Alley one of them and just to be able to walk in now and see the room, makes my heart soar,” Carroll said.
The club provided an update on how long the club would remain closed in a Tweet posted Wednesday.
"Blues Alley is temporarily closed due to last night's unfortunate occurrence, they are currently assessing the damage and how long it will take to re-open. Some news reports have exaggerated the severity of the water damage which is confined to the 2nd floor and roof only," the club tweeted.
Record-release shows by Owen Broder were scheduled for 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Tuesday. Cuban trumpet legend and Dizzy Gillespie protégé Arturo Sandoval had been scheduled for four nights at the club beginning Thursday.
The cause of the fire has not been released.
