Oh no!!!

From The Journal Times.com:

Fire destroys Jim Beam warehouse, bourbon flows into river

 

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A fire destroyed a massive Jim Beam warehouse filled with about 45,000 barrels of aging bourbon in Kentucky, and state officials worried that runoff whiskey seeping into nearby waterways would kill fish.

Firefighters from four counties responded to the blaze that erupted late Tuesday. It sent flames shooting into the night sky and generated so much heat that firetruck lights melted.

Lightning might have been a factor, but fire investigators haven't been able to start looking for the cause, Woodford County Emergency Management Director Drew Chandler said.

The warehouse was a total loss. Looking to reassure consumers of Jim Beam bourbon, Beam Suntory indicated it amounted to a drop of the iconic brand's total aging inventory.

No injuries were reported, Chandler said. The fire was contained but was allowed to burn until midday Wednesday, he said.

"The longer it burns, the more of the distilled spirits burn with it," he said in a phone interview. "So when they go to put it out, there will be less contaminated runoff that goes into a drinking-water tributary."

By Wednesday afternoon, firefighters were dousing the warehouse's charred remains with water to try to extinguish the fire, Chandler said. As they kept working, the focus turned to the environmental impact of the leaking bourbon.

The distiller hired an emergency cleanup crew and state environmental officials were coordinating efforts to control bourbon runoff into a nearby creek that flows into the Kentucky River, said John Mura, a spokesman for the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet.

"We do know there has been runoff enter the creek," Mura said. "And it has made its way into the Kentucky River."

The runoff could have a "serious impact on aquatic life," he said. Runoff is expected to create "low dissolved oxygen levels," which could result in substantial fish kills, the agency said in a release.

State officials warned recreational users on the Kentucky River that runoff will result in water discoloration, foaming and an odor.

Beam Suntory officials said they are working with authorities to assess environmental effects.

The distilling company said the multi-story warehouse that burned contained "relatively young whiskey," meaning it had not reached maturity for bottling for consumers. Bourbon acquires its color and flavor while aging for years in charred new oak barrels.

"Given the age of the lost whiskey, this fire will not impact the availability of Jim Beam for consumers," the spirits company said in a statement.

Read more:  https://journaltimes.com/news/national/fire-destroys-jim-beam-warehouse-bourbon-flows-into-river/article_be3345d2-ba98-5193-b127-618f09246250.html