Crews battle early morning fire at Louisville liquor store

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Five fire departments battled flames and heavy smoke at Kuhl's Liquors and Deli on Grade Lane early Sunday morning.

Fairdale Fire Chief Darrell Roy told WDRB the fire started around 6 a.m. while the business located south of the Muhammad Ali airport was closed.

Crews arrived to heavy fire on the second floor and had trouble getting to the flames from inside of the building. The firefighters were forced to fight the flames from outside after they feared the floor could collapse.

The wind and cold temperatures also played a role in how crews battled the flames according to Roy.

"In this cold weather, the air packs when we get water all over them, they freeze up," Roy said. "That's why there are so many people here to rotate because our air packs freeze up and we got to get them in the heat to thaw them back out."

STRUCTURE FIRE: Multiple fire crews are battling flames and heavy smoke coming from Kuhls Liquors and Deli on Grade Lane. LMPD has blocked off the road. @WDRBNews pic.twitter.com/JMO21Cbewr
— Grace Hayba (@GraceHayba) February 7, 2021