A fire broke out at Long Pond Distillery in Jamaica on Monday (16 July) damaging production materials and buildings, and destroying approximately 65,000 litres of fresh rum stocks.

The distillery said that as of yesterday (17 July) the fire had been contained, apart from the bagasse (a dry, pulpy residue from the extraction of juice from sugar cane) dump at the sugar factory, which was still on fire. “Firefighters are working to bring it under control,” the company said in a statement.

The fire started in the cane fields near the Long Pond Distillery at midday on 16 July and “quickly spread”, reaching part of the fermentation room and fresh rum stocks. The distillery itself and the stills were unaffected, and no staff members were injured in the fire.

“As we don’t store or age rum at Long Pond Distillery, the aged rum stock was not affected,” the statement continued. “We are currently assessing the full extent of the damages.”

Winston Harrison, CEO of National Rums of Jamaica, said: “In the middle of this difficulty, I know I can count on my team as well as our owners, the Jamaican government, Maison Ferrand and Demerara Distillers Ltd.