VERSAILLES, Ky. (WDRB) -- Firefighters from several departments are allowing a warehouse filled with about 40,000 barrels of Jim Beam bourbon to burn itself out.
Woodford County Emergency Management Director Drew Chandler says two barrel warehouses caught fire late Tuesday about 11:30 p.m. Crews were able to put one out, but the other has been burning for hours partly because of the alcohol in the debris. The first warehouse has collapsed.
Chandler estimates firefighters will be working at the scene late into Wednesday night. He says crews aren't trying to put the fire out, because allowing it to burn will lessen the risk of the soil contamination.
"It's purposefully being allowed to burn for several more hours," Chandler said. "The more it burns, the less distilled spirits are in the debris."
That will also help ensure any runoff from the firefighting efforts don't pollute nearby sources of drinking water.
Jim Beam warehouse goes up in flames near Versailles, Ky.
Flames rise from the site of the Jim Beam bourbon warehouse fire on Wednesday. Image via CNN.
Flames from a burning Jim Beam warehouse fire were intense enough to melt lights on fire trucks at the scene. Image via CNN.
Beam Suntory released a statement thanking firefighters and the bourbon community.
We are thankful that no one was injured in this incident, and we are grateful to the courageous firefighters from multiple jurisdictions who brought the fire under control and prevented it from spreading. Initial reports suggest the fire resulted from a lightning strike, and we will work with local authorities to confirm the cause and to remediate the impacts.
We have a comprehensive warehouse safety program that includes regular inspections and rigorous protocols to promote safety and the security of our aging inventory. We operate 126 barrel warehouses in Kentucky that hold approximately 3.3 million barrels for our brands, and the warehouse that was destroyed contained 45,000 barrels of relatively young whiskey from the Jim Beam mash bill. Given the age of the lost whiskey, this fire will not impact the availability of Jim Beam for consumers.
We appreciate the support of our neighbors and the Kentucky Bourbon community as we manage through this incident.
Five departments responded to Tuesday's fire at the Jim Beam warehouse. At one point, Chandler says the flames were so intense they caused some lights on fire trucks to melt.
Chandler says the fire may have been caused by lightning, but the fire scene is too hot for investigators to start pinpointing where it started.
In June 2018, a whiskey storage warehouse for the Barton 1792 Distillery in Bardstown sent about 120,000 gallons of spirits gushing into retention ponds. Part of the warehouse came crashing down June 22. The rest of the 1940s structure collapsed July 4, leaving thousands of whiskey barrels piled in a mountainous heap.
Copyright 2019 WDRB Media. CNN and the Associated Press contributed to this report. All Rights Reserved.
