LAWRENCEBURG, Kentucky (AP) -- Flames shot 50 feet into the air Tuesday as a blaze consumed a seven-story warehouse full of Wild Turkey bourbon and reduced it to rubble, threatening Lawrenceburg, Kentucky's water supply.
Burning bourbon mixed with water from fire hoses flowed down a gully beside the warehouse into the Kentucky River. A water treatment plant was shut down after a large amount of bourbon entered the river near the intake for the city's water supply.
The burning bourbon also set fire to woods behind the water treatment plant, sheriff's officials said.
The cause of the afternoon fire at the Wild Turkey Distillery was not known, said Gregg Snyder, the director of operations at the plant. "We're investigating everything at this point," he said.
Larry Hazlett, city public works director, said three employees at the treatment plantheard an explosion Tuesday and went outside to investigate.
"One end of the warehouse had been blown out and part of one side. They said in about three minutes it all collapsed," Hazlett said.
The warehouse was one of 12 at the plant. Each warehouse contains between 15,000 and 20,000 barrels filled with about 53 gallons of bourbon, Snyder said.
Two firefighters were taken to a hospital with heat exhaustion.
The Wild Turkey plant is on a hill overlooking the Kentucky River about 30 miles west of Lexington.
