Lexington Fire Department sending collapse specialists to tornado ravaged Western KY

The Lexington Fire Department is sending people and equipment to Western Kentucky to aid in search and rescue efforts following deadly tornadoes that barreled through the region overnight.

According to Battalion Chief Jordan Saas, the fire department is sending 10 people and four vehicles to Western Kentucky. Eight of the people are collapse specialists while the other two will serve on the incident management team.

The fire dispatch screen showed a crew en route to Graves County at 10:14 a.m. Saturday. The department will send a rotation of people for an unknown amount of time.

The damage in Western Kentucky, specifically Mayfield, was extensive after a large tornado tore through the town late Friday evening. Initial reports suggests dozens of people are dead, with that number likely to rise as rescue efforts continue.

Many of the casualties were in a candle factory that collapsed in Mayfield, where over 100 people were trapped.

Bowling Green also suffered extrensive damage.

The tornado that hit the area and other parts of the state traveled a continuous distance of over 220 miles, according to the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management. If that distance is confirmed by the National Weather Service, it would break a 96-year-old record.

This story was originally published December 11, 2021 at 10:29 AM.

Christopher Leach

Lexington Herald-Leader

Chris Leach is a breaking news reporter for the Lexington Herald-Leader. He joined the newspaper in September 2021 after previously working with the Anderson News and the Cats Pause. Chris graduated from UK in December 2018. Support my work with a digital subscription