Wednesday, April 29, 2015

SILVER TRAIL DISTILLERY EXPLODES: TWO PEOPLE RECEIVE BURNS, TAKEN TO VANDERBILT; DISTILLERY A TOTAL LOSS








HARDIN, Ky. — Two workers have been injured in an explosion at a small western Kentucky distillery that produces small-batch whiskeys.

Marshall County Sheriff Kevin Byars says the explosion at the Silver Trail distillery occurred around 10:45 a.m. CDT on Friday morning. Two workers were flown to Vanderbilt Medical Center but Byars did not know the extent of their injuries.

Byars says fire officials believe a still at the plant malfunctioned, causing the blast. The distillery produces "LBL Moonshine," which is named for the nearby Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area.

Fire officials have extinguished the blaze but the building is a total loss, Byars says.

Distillery founder R. Spencer Balentine opened Silver Trail in 2011. He says on the company's website that his father was a moonshine runner in the 1950s.   It was seen in such shows such as Discoveries 'Moonshiners' television series.

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SILVER TRAIL DISTILLERY EXPLODES: TWO PEOPLE RECEIVE BURNS, TAKEN TO VANDERBILT 

Distillery explosion

Firefighters and other emergency workers are pictured responding to the scene of a reported explosion at Silver Trail Distillery on Palestine Road in Hardin Friday. Two people were reportedly severely burned as a result of the explosion.

April 25, 2015

HARDIN, Ky. — The  Kentucky Office of the State Fire Marshal is investigating a explosion that was reported Friday morning at Hardin’s Silver Trail Distillery.
Marshall County Emergency Management Director Frank Murphy said 911 received a call at approximately 10:45 a.m. reporting that there had been an explosion and that the distillery — located near the intersection of KY 402 and Palestine Church Road — was on fire. The first firefighters on the scene found two people who were severely burned, he said. The names of the two individuals have not yet been released, and Murphy said he could not comment on the extent of their injuries.

Aurora-Ross Fire Department Chief Ricky Sirls confirmed that the two individuals were airlifted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The business is a total loss, he said.

Spencer Balentine, who formerly ran Town & Country Yamaha in Murray — now Town & Country Motorsports — opened the business next to his Hardin home in 2011, making it the first legal moonshine distillery in the area. Balentine was not available for comment Friday.

Marshall County Sheriff Kevin Byars said he had learned that the two victims were employees at the distillery. He said he knew Balentine well and immediately responded to the scene after hearing the news.

“I had just arrived at the sheriff’s office here in Benton when we got the call that something had happened,” Byars said. “I knew that was Spencer’s place and I’ve pretty much known Spencer all of my life. That was the biggest thing at that point and the toughest, knowing that you knew someone so involved with that place and that something bad had happened there.”

Murphy said the cause of the explosion is still unknown and is under investigation by the state fire marshal’s office. Several fire departments were on the scene Friday morning trying to put out the flames so that the scene could be turned over to the fire marshal.


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The Kentucky Distillers' Association says a support fund has been set up for two workers injured in an explosion and fire at the Silver Trail Distillery in Marshall County, KY

April 29, 2015

FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Kentucky Distillers' Association says a support fund has been set up for two workers injured in an explosion and fire at a western Kentucky distillery.

The trade association group says the two workers at Silver Trail Distillery in Marshall County suffered severe burns in the explosion last Friday. They are being treated at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
KDA says the injured workers are Jay Rogers and his cousin, Kyle Rogers.
An official cause of the blast hasn't been determined.

KDA President Eric Gregory says the group's 27 members are working to coordinate tastings and other events to raise money for the support fund.
The group says the support fund has been established at CFSB Bank in Benton, Kentucky, to assist with medical and other expenses.