WOODFORD COUNTY, Ky. - Officials say the Kentucky River was littered with dead fish after a recent fire at a bourbon warehouse.

According to ABC News, the blaze was reported at the Jim Beam warehouse near Louisville, Kentucky last week. The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet posted photos on social media over the weekend.

Officials say nearly 45,000 barrels of alcohol were destroyed in the blaze. Firefighters held back on dousing the fire with too much water due to the anticipated impact the bourbon-tainted runoff might have on the environment.

The fire left a 23-mile-long alcohol plume in the Kentucky River. Officials warned residents to watch for "dead and dying fish."

Beam Suntory, Jim Beam’s parent company, said it sent environmental cleanup crews and consultants to the area after the blaze.