Kentucky

Fire at Jim Beam Aging Facility Destroys 45,000 Barrels of Bourbon

Two barrel houses at an aging facility near Versailles went up in flames late Tuesday

Two barrel houses at a Jim Beam aging facility in Kentucky went up in flames late Tuesday, destroying thousands of barrels of bourbon.

NBC affiliate WLEX in Lexington reports the fire began in one rickhouse and quickly spread to a nearby structure. 

Crews were able to put out the fire in one of the structures, but the other rickhouse continued burning Wednesday morning. No injuries have been reported.

The company said in a statement to WLEX that 45,000 barrels of "relatively young" whiskey was lost in the blaze. 

Officials say the blaze may have been sparked by lightning, but an official cause has not been determined. 

Emergency management officials tell WLEX they expect firefighters to be working at the scene late into Wednesday night, a sign of the challenge crews are facing in distinguishing flames fueled by wood and alcohol.

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