State of Emergency declared over fire

An immediate state of emergency has been declared in response to a severe natural gas fire at Vinland Energy’s plant at Gabbard’s Fork.

County Judge-Executive Tommy Harmon signed the order Wednesday afternoon, giving him authority to utilize their emergency operation plan.

Emergency Management Director Rodney Wagers will assist and coordinate local agencies during this emergency.

The fire broke out around 1 p.m.; the cause is still unknown.

All fire departments in Clay County have swiftly responded to the incident, engaging in continuous water pumping to combat and control the situation.

According to Harmon, evacuations in the area have not been ruled out.

“Right now, we are trying to work with Vinland Energy and gather all the information we can on what could happen and if an explosion were to occur, how big of an area would that affect,” he said.

Ky. 11 North was temporarily closed but has been reopened for now.

The area is significantly populated, and the nursing home is located near the fire.

We will closely monitor the situation and provide further updates as they become available.