45,000 Barrels of Whiskey Up in Flames as Fire Ravages Jim Beam Warehouses

(TMU) — A blaze erupted at a Jim Beam bourbon facility located in Versailles, Kentucky. Two barrel warehouses caught fire around 11:30 p.m Tuesday night, according to Woodford County Emergency Management Director Drew Chandler.

While firefighters we able to put the fire out at one of the warehouses, they struggled to extinguish the flames at the second building, partly because of the alcohol housed inside it. The structure, which held approximately 45,000 barrels of whiskey, eventually collapsed.

As of noon on Wednesday, more than 12 hours after it began, the fire was still smoldering.

Forty firefighters from five counties have assisted in battling the inferno, which is said to have started due to lightning strikes.

The whiskey lost was relatively young, so the fire will not affect the availability of Jim Beam for customers, according to Chicago-based Beam Suntory—which owns Jim Beam.

“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,” the company said. “Initial reports are the fire resulted from a lightning strike, and we will work with local authorities to confirm the cause and to remediate the impacts.”

8+ hours later, the fire continues to burn at this Jim Beam property in Woodford County. Emergency Management officials tell me they expect it to last for several more hours. @LEX18News pic.twitter.com/RHqJrQ36xd

— Alex Valverde (@AlexValverdeTV) July 3, 2019

By S.M. Gibson | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com