WOODFORD COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — Two barrel houses at a Jim Beam aging facility in Woodford County went up in flames late Tuesday, spurring a massive response from area emergency and fire crews that continues into this morning.
Officials said the call came out about 11:30 p.m. reporting the blaze along McCracken Pike near Versailles.
Authorities said one of the rickhouses, where barrels of bourbon are stored as they age, initially caught fire, eventually spreading to the other nearby structure.
Crews at one point had the fire in the first barrel house put out, but it reignited, showing the difficulty of fighting a blaze fueled by both wood and alcohol.
Officials tell LEX 18 that the fire may have been sparked by a lightning strike, but that remains unconfirmed.
The Bluegrass Emergency Response Team and fire crews from Winchester have brought in a foam material to help smother the flames.
In addition, a local business called Woodford Feed brought in sand to build embankments around the damaged rickhouses to prevent leakage into nearby creeks.
Officials with the Red Cross also were on the scene early Wednesday morning.
No injuries have been reported in the fire or the response.
Check back with LEX18.com for more information on this developing story.
