The fire broke out on Tuesday evening and was extinguished by Wednesday afternoon and the distiller has hired an emergency environmental cleanup crew to deal with the situation.
WATCH: Thousands of Jim Beam bourbon barrels burn in Kentucky warehouse fire https://t.co/2UxCpbL68Q pic.twitter.com/Ozj0WmfSRT
— NBC News (@NBCNews) 4 July 2019
John Mura, a spokesman for the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet, believes the leaked whiskey will have contaminated the Kentucky River.
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Whiskey runs into the Kentucky River (Pat McDonogh/Courier Journal) |
"We do know there has been run-off enter the creek," said Mura. "And it has made its way into the Kentucky River."
The destroyed barrels account for around 1% of Jim Beam’s inventory and the liquid was too young to be bottled, however the damages are likely to acound for up to $45m.
No injuries have been reported and while the cause of the fire is currently unknown, the incident shouldn’t have an impact on the brand’s supply chain.
