Less than 24 hours after fire struck, the Whiskey Row buildings continue to smoke. Rubble and charred wood smolder, but the exterior holds strong.

City officials remain hopeful the historic façade can be saved, but Louisville Fire Department members told me that it’s unknown whether the exteriors can hold. A member of the arson investigator team told me that they cannot determine the cause until they can safely get in to instigate the scene.

Doc Crow’s, the popular bourbon bar on Main Street, Tweeted the building has “no gas.”

The buildings were partly owned by Brown-Forman, which planned construction for the upcoming $45-million Old Forester Distillery. The distillery is currently just a hole in the ground with no major construction underway.

Meanwhile, built in the mid-1800s, once forgotten by the city and saved by Brown-Forman / members of the Brown family with hopes of restoring the historic Whiskey Row,  what’s left stands tall.

WDRB obtained a Brown-Forman internal letter to employees that stated the company’s plans remain unchanged and it will still hold a groundbreaking ceremony later this summer.

These photos were taken between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. today.