Posted on 07/03/2019 7:03:30 AM PDT by Red Badger
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Two barrel warehouses at a Jim Beam aging facility burned for hours overnight in Kentucky.
WKYT reports the facility caught fire at around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday. One warehouse caught fire, which then spread to a second warehouse.
Roughly 45,000 barrels of bourbon were in one of the burning warehouses.
Officials said it’s possible the fire was caused by a lightning strike.
VERSAILLES, Ky. (WKYT) - Multiple crews are on the scene of a major fire at a bourbon warehouse facility. Massive fire at a Jim Beam warehouse facility in Woodford County
Woodford County Emergency Management Director Drew Chandler tells WKYT two barrel warehouses at a Jim Beam aging facility caught fire around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The facility is on McCracken Pike, near the Franklin County line.
Chandler says one warehouse initially caught fire with flames spreading to the second structure.
Crews were able to put out the flames in the second warehouse. Flames were still visible in the first warehouse five hours after the fire started.
Chandler says approximately 45,000 barrels of bourbon were in the warehouse that was still burning. He speculated crews could be on scene until late Wednesday night.
Multiple agencies are working to put the fire out. Bluegrass Emergency Response Team out of Lexington is bringing foam to the scene.
Chandler also said it's possible the fire was caused by a lightning strike, but that has not been confirmed.
A local business is bringing sand to control runoff into Glenns Creek.
McCracken Pike is shut down while crews actively fight the fire.
This story is developing and will be updated.
Wow. These images from the fire at the Jim Beam aging facility are unbelievable. Emergency management officials estimate 45,000 barrels of bourbon were in the rickhouse. Read more here from @WKYT: https://t.co/jYq66lZxjK pic.twitter.com/JQ9hTewYcj — Garrett Wymer (@GarrettWKYT) July 3, 2019
I hope this fire was truly accidental. Deliberately setting it would be serious alcohol abuse.
What a waste.
You beat me to it. I was going to exactly the same gif. :)
charcoal filtered
Just passing through for all the “Oh, the humanity” comments.
I’m suspicious of Old Grand-Dad.
From 'bourbonado' to Jim Beam's fire: Kentucky's historic bourbon disasters
Losing a rickhouse is bad, losing one of those would be a major tragedy. Of course, those numbers of barrels are well beyond the total barrels of Pappy ever.
45,000 barrels.....
That will put a small crimp in our family reunion, but, somehow, we’ll muddle through.
Good I hope it was Mila’s private stash! I am boycotting.
Nooooooooooooo!
At about $10,000 per barrel...
I hope they have good insurance
Ah heck, I'm retired. I'll wait till noon! =;-)
I guess the Good Lord is a Jack’s fan.
Oh, the humanity!!!!!!!!..................
yes
Some people I used to know are shedding a tear from the grave.
Wait a second is this a second warehouse ? Didn’t this happen not too long ago ?
Thanks Otter!
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