There is always the fear and risk of a fire at a large chemical company, especially one as large as the Ashland Chemical Company. Fear became reality on May 5, 1969. The origin of the fire is still unknown but the results were devastating. Bronoco, a subsidiary of Ashland, was located at 1315 W. Kentucky Street. The warehouse facility contained several storage tanks usually filled with several hundred thousand gallons of volatile and flammable chemicals. Consequently, the fire spread quickly and led to a chain of chemical explosions. Balls of fire spewed high into the air and an orange glow hovered over downtown Louisville.
Over one hundred firemen and numerous policemen arrived on the scene, not only to fight the fire, but also to evacuate the nearby residents. However, the firemen were at a disadvantage because they were not sure about the type of chemicals contained in the tanks.
The firemen proceeded to hook up the water hoses and spray the tanks in order to keep the blaze from spreading to the neighboring Porter Paint Plant, Superior Paper, Inc., and Distillers Grain, Inc. Since all of these companies contain highly flammable materials, the firemen had to be more cautious to prevent the fire from spreading. They would make progress only to be turned back as another tank exploded.
Over two hundred and fifty firemen and twenty-five trucks arrived before the battle was over. They persisted to conquer the fire and didn't stop until early morning. Although Bronoco was destroyed, the firemen were able to prevent the fire from spreading. It was amazing that there were no civilian casualties and only four firemen were injured, one with a sprained back and others from smoke inhalation.
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Originally Posted by Heroique
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