Fort Smith fire closes Oklahoma’s access to Garrison Avenue bridge

Traffic from Oklahoma on Tuesday was diverted off the Garrison Avenue bridge that spans the Arkansas River due to a large structure fire of a four-story building in downtown Fort Smith, Ark.

The closure affected eastbound U.S. 64 and U.S. 64D in Sequoyah County. Oklahoma traffic was diverted onto the Dora exit.

The bridge closure was issued at 8:49 a.m. Tuesday, according to an alert issued by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, and closed most of the remainder of the day. The downtown intersection of Garrison and Fourth Street was reported to continue to be closed until authorities established that the historic building was structurally safe.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol assisted Fort Smith Police during the closure.

The fire was at the Bricktown Brewery, 318 Garrison Avenue, which has been at the downtown location for more than 35 years. The roof and the second floor were the main parts of the 100-year-old building that were damaged. The bottom of the building only sustained water damage, officials said.

No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation. Officials believe the fire originally started in the kitchen. Fire crews were alerted about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday for the original blaze, which reignited about 7 a.m.