Dire Dairy

Summary

Podcast Episode Summary: "Dire Dairy" — Cabinet of Curiosities (September 16, 2025)

Podcast: Cabinet of Curiosities
Host: Aaron Mahnke
Episode: Dire Dairy
Release Date: September 16, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this episode of Cabinet of Curiosities, host Aaron Mahnke brings listeners two fascinating tales: the miraculous survival story of Juliane Koepka, the sole survivor of a mysterious plane crash in the Amazon, and the surreal saga of the “Great Wisconsin Butterfire,” a disastrous (and dairy-filled) fire that consumed a warehouse and flooded the streets with melted butter and cheese. Both stories are united by the theme of survival against daunting, even bizarre, odds.

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First Tale: Juliane Koepka and the Peruvian Plane Crash

The Unimaginable Fall and Survival

[01:10–06:46]

• Setting: Christmas Eve, 1971, Peru.
• Subject: Juliane Koepka, 17, daughter of renowned German zoologists, boards LANSA Flight 508 with her mother, hoping to return to a remote research station after her school graduation.
• Event: The unreliable airline’s plane flies into a thunderstorm. Lightning hits the wing, causing a mid-air explosion.
• Miraculous Descent:
  • Juliane falls 10,000 feet, still strapped to her seat, and somehow survives—unconscious, injured, but alive in the Amazon jungle.
  • “Somehow, though miraculously, she survived the fall. Perhaps it was the updraft from the storm or the surface area of the seats, slowing her descent. Maybe it was even the dense jungle canopy that broke her fall before she hit the ground.” (Aaron Mahnke, 02:17)

Survival in the Jungle

• Injuries and Resources: Broken collarbone, head wound, lost glasses, no food except candy, barefoot except for a single shoe. Dressed only in a thin dress.
• Jungle Skills: Remembers her father’s life-saving advice: “Follow water. People always live near water.”
• Endurance:
  • Trekking for 10 days, facing rain, predatory animals, biting insects—botflies infest her wounds.
  • She kept moving forward, motivated by survival knowledge.
• Rescue:
  • Stumbles upon a boat and huts on January 3, 1972.
  • Local workers rescue her, paddle her to a settlement, and arrange a medical evacuation.

Aftermath and Legacy

• Survivor’s Guilt: 92 passengers; possibly 14 survived the crash only to perish in the jungle—Juliane the lone survivor.
• Life Beyond Survival:
  • Guides authorities to the crash site.
  • Returns to her studies, later specializing in zoology and bats.
• A Twist of Fate:
  • German filmmaker Werner Herzog contacts Juliane decades later to make the documentary Wings of Hope.
  • Herzog was nearly on that very flight for a location scout but had rescheduled—a brush with fate.
  • “She felt making the documentary was therapeutic, a way to put to rest some of the trauma that had haunted her for years.” (Aaron Mahnke, 05:47)
• Closing Reflection:
  • Koepka didn’t just survive—she thrived, embracing her ordeal as a formative, healing part of her story.

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Second Tale: The Great Wisconsin Butterfire

The Economic Context

[07:22–11:44]

• Eggflation and Dairy Woes:
  • Host reflects humorously on the notion that “we can gauge the state of the economy based on the price of eggs.” (Aaron Mahnke, 07:23)
• Government Cheese Era (1974–1991):
  • For 15 years, the U.S. federal government buys surplus dairy to stabilize prices.
  • Vast warehouses fill up with “butter and cheese … thoroughly ignorable as far as problems go.” (Aaron Mahnke, 07:50)

Disaster Strikes in Madison, Wisconsin

• Warehouse of Dairy:
  • A facility, 500,000 square feet large, stores up to 15 million pounds of products (mostly butter and cheese).
• Fire’s Origin:
  • On May 3, 1991, a forklift’s battery ignites a fire—inside this temperature-controlled, highly flammable environment.

The Butter Fire

• Unstoppable Flames:
  • Burning butter “doesn’t burn like coal or wood. It burns more like grease.” (Aaron Mahnke, 08:45)
  • Water only spreads the molten dairy, creating rivers of dangerous, flaming grease.
• Catastrophic Spread:
  • Warehouse walls collapse. “Unleashing a wave of butter, cream, and melted cheese onto the streets of Madison.” (Aaron Mahnke, 09:13)
  • Grease floods—up to 5 feet deep—hamper firefighting efforts.
  • Looming danger: fire nears tanks of toxic anhydrous ammonia.
  • Residents in a half-mile radius evacuated; tank rupture averted.

Environmental and Economic Fallout

• Ongoing Crisis:
  • Dairy runoff threatens water supplies and ecosystems.
  • Emergency levees and makeshift dams erected.
  • Ponds dug to contain runoff; 13 million gallons diverted during cleanup.
  • “Had to bring in pumps to help divert 13 million gallons of melted butter mixed with water and other runoff from the fire.” (Aaron Mahnke, 10:38)
• Final Response and Damage:
  • Ultimately, sand is dumped on the fire to smother it.
  • Fire declared out May 11—eight full days later.
  • Cleanup of city streets takes an additional week.
• Toll:
  • Most expensive fire in Wisconsin history: $7.5 million in property damage, $70 million in food products lost, $1 million in cleanup.
  • “Which was ironic, since it all started because the US Government wanted to avoid a financial crisis.” (Aaron Mahnke, 11:35)
• Closing Quip:
  • Aaron ends with characteristic dark humor, “It’s a delicious cautionary tale. When you keep way too much butter near flammable materials, your city might become toast.” (Aaron Mahnke, 11:41)

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On Juliane Koepka’s Survival:

  • “She had no food except for a bag of candy from the plane. But she knew that if she wanted to make it out of this, she had to find help.” (Aaron Mahnke, 02:50)

• On the Butterfire:

  • “The firemen had to wade through a cholesterol-dense river that was almost five feet deep in places.” (Aaron Mahnke, 09:32)

• On the Peculiar Aftermath:

  • “They had to bring in pumps to help divert 13 million gallons of melted butter mixed with water and other runoff from the fire.” (Aaron Mahnke, 10:38)

• On the Irony of Disaster:

  • “It was the most costly fire in the state’s history … which was ironic since it all started because the US Government wanted to avoid a financial crisis.” (Aaron Mahnke, 11:35)

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Episode Structure & Flow

• [00:38–01:10] — Intro by Aaron Mahnke and setup for the episode theme.
• [01:10–06:46] — Story of Juliane Koepka’s fall, survival and legacy.
• [07:22–11:44] — The Great Wisconsin Butterfire: context, disaster, and surreal aftermath.

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Conclusion

This episode of Cabinet of Curiosities masterfully intertwines two unforgettable stories from opposite ends of the spectrum—personal resilience in the face of a miraculous survival and unintended (and absurd) consequences of economic policy gone awry. Both tales emphasize the unpredictable routes fate and human ingenuity can take in our strange world. As Mahnke reminds us with his signature sign-off:
“Until next time, stay curious.”

Transcript

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[Erin Menke]

Welcome to Erin Menke's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of iHeartRadio and Grim and Mild.

[Aaron Mahnke]

Our world is full of the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, all of these amazing tales are right there on display, just waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities.

[Erin Menke]

On Christmas Eve of 1971, 17 year old Juliane Koepka took her seat next to her mother on LANSA Flight 508. She figured it would be a routine flight, one she had done a dozen times before, but just a few hours later she was free, falling through the sky, about to land in the middle of the world's densest jungle, completely alone. If anyone was going to survive trekking through the Amazon, it was Juliane Kapka, daughter of two German zoologists. She had spent most of her childhood seeing her parents work at the Lima Museum of Natural History. When she was just 14 years old, she accompanied her parents to establish a research station inside the Amazon. Her parents made sure that she was well versed in biology, zoology, ecology, and most importantly, the skills to survive the jungle. She'd returned to Lima to finish school, and initially she and her mother were planning to return to the research station on December 19th or 20th. But Yuliane insisted she wanted to attend her graduation ceremony on December 23, leaving them scrambling to book a flight home on Christmas Eve. The Peruvian airline Lansa had a reputation for old and malfunctioning planes, and Juliane's father begged them to avoid flying on it. But since it was the only flight left on Christmas Eve, they booked their tickets for L' Ansa Flight 508. Things began okay, but midway through the flight, the plane flew into a thunderstorm. Lightning struck its right wing, igniting a fuel tank. The plane exploded in mid air, ripping apart over the rainfall forest. In an instant, yuliana was falling 10,000ft to the ground, still strapped into a row of seats. Somehow, though miraculously, she survived the fall. Perhaps it was the updraft from the storm or the surface area of the seats, slowing her Descent. Maybe it was even the dense jungle canopy that broke her fall before she hit the ground. Either way, Yuliana was still alive after plummeting nearly two miles to the Earth's surface. But now she had to stay that way. Yuliana had blacked out during the fall, but came to on the forest floor. She had a broken collarbone, a swollen eye, a deep gash on her arm and a concussion. She had lost one of her shoes and only wore a thin cotton dress. She had no food except for a bag of candy from the plane. But she knew that if she wanted to make it out of this, she had to find help. She remembered her father's advice. Follow water. People always live near water. So when she found a creek in the jungle, she began trekking down it. She kept walking for 10 days. She was constantly worried about animals. Jaguars, scorpions, poisonous insects. All of which she could barely see because she had lost her glasses as well. She was repeatedly soaked by the December rains and attacked by mosquitoes. Botflies began to infest the open wound on her arm and. But despite all of this, she kept moving forward. Finally, on January 3rd of 1972, she found a small boat and a hut. A few hours later, local lumberjacks arrived at the encampment. Shocked at her condition. They cleaned her wounds and placed her in a canoe. And then they paddled her 11 more hours down the river to a settlement, where finally a helicopter was able to airlift her to the hospital. 92 people were flying on L' Anse Flight 508. It's estimated that as many as 14 survived the crash, but died from their injuries in the jungle. Only one person survived, Juliane Koepka. Yuliane recovered and led authorities back to the crash site. Just a few days later, she finished school and eventually returned to the rainforest to study zoology, just like her parents, specializing in bats. Her story would have been incredible enough if it ended there. But there was one more twist of fate that Flight 508 had to offer. You see, in the 1990s, German director Werner Herzog reached out to Juliana, asking to make a documentary about her. In the years since the crash, dozens of journalists and filmmakers had approached her with a similar request. And normally she brushed off these messages. But in Werner's case, she listened. Because Werner Herzog was supposed to be on Flight 508 with her in 1971. Werner had been scouting locations in the Peruvian Amazon for his film Aguirre, the Wrath of God. He was supposed to take L' Ansa Flight 508 that Christmas Eve, but a conflict caused him to reschedule his flight. In the documentary that he made called Wings of Hope, Juliana told her own story while leading Werner to the crash site. She felt making the documentary was therapeutic, a way to put to rest some of the trauma that had haunted her for years. Juliana Kapka didn't just survive her ordeal, she thrived. And even after falling nearly two miles through the air, she somehow landed on her own two feet. This show is sponsored by American Public University. American Public University is the number one provider of education to our military and veterans in the country. They offer something truly unique special rates and grants for the entire family, making education affordable not just for those who serve, but also for their loved ones. If you have a military or veteran family member and are looking for affordable, high quality education, APU is the place for you. Visit APU Apus Edumilitary to learn more. That's APU Apus Edu Military.

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[Erin Menke]

Looking back on the news of the past year, it seems that a lot of people have subscribed to the unusual belief that we can gauge the state of the economy based on the price of eggs. It's difficult to say exactly when this started, but it certainly sounds logical, right? Eggs are, after all, one of the most ubiquitous grocery products, the bedrock of baking breakfasts and batter the world over. And when dairy prices rise, the average person can feel the strain acutely, from the farmers who raised the chickens to the individuals who are just trying to shop for their family. So with that in mind, I'd like to tell you a story of what happens when dairy products can turn into their own form of natural disaster. It started with an economic issue and became a local news crisis. It was the spring of 1991. For the previous 15 years, since 1974, the United States government had been purchasing dairy products from farmers, an effort to keep prices stable. This ensured that the US had an enormous surplus of butter and cheese, all stored in warehouses around the country. This was a little inconvenient, but it was thoroughly ignorable as far as problems go. One such complex was on Cottage Grove Road In Madison, Wisconsin. It was half a million square feet, storing up to £15 million of surplus butter, cheese, Hamster and Oscar Mayer sausages would also be stored at this facility in significantly smaller quantities. At around 3pm on May 3, there were about 25 people working in this warehouse when someone smelled smoke. The source was a forklift malfunction whose battery sparked and ignited a fire inside the temperature controlled building. The warehouse's insulation was extremely flammable, as was the butter being stored within it. Under intense heat, butter will melt and then burn and then catch fire. And it doesn't burn like coal or wood. It burns more like grease. So the entire building was aflame. Firefighters were on the scene immediately. They poured thousands of gallons of water on the fire, which would slow down the flames slightly, but not put them out altogether. Water only spread the melted butter around. After a few hours, the walls of the warehouse began to give way. The fire spread to a second building and the first fully collapsed, unleashing a wave of butter, cream and melted cheese onto the streets of Madison. The currents of Derry made it impossible for fire trucks to maneuver, so in order to fight the flames, firemen had to wade through a cholesterol dense river that was almost five feet deep in places. More frightening, though, the fire was creeping closer to the factory's anhydrous ammonia tanks. And if these tanks burst, it would release a toxic gas into the city. Residents that lived within half a mile radius of the factory were prompted to evacuate. Fortunately, though, the firefighters were able to keep the flames away from the tanks. Within 20 hours, the fire was contained, but the battle was far from over. You see, the butter and cheese flood was ongoing, putting the city's fresh water supplies at risk as well as the surrounding natural environment. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources joined the fire department's effort to stem the tide and erecting levees and dams to keep the butter, cheese and assorted meats from running into nearby lakes and streams. Public works dug a pond for the runoff and then quickly realized they had to dig a second one before it completely filled with butter. Heck, they had to bring in pumps to help divert 13 million gallons of melted butter mixed with water and other runoff from the fire. In the end, they had to use construction vehicles to dump sand on the burning butter in order to fully put out the flames. And the fire was officially declared out on May 11, eight days after it had begun. Clearing the surrounding streets, however, took an extra week. The event became known as the Great Wisconsin Butterfire. It was the most costly fire in the state's. History, causing $7.5 million in property damage destroyed, $70 million worth of food products, and an extra $1 million in cleanup expenses, which was ironic since it all started because the US Government wanted to avoid a financial crisis. It's a delicious cautionary tale. When you keep way too much butter near flammable materials, your city might become toast.

[Aaron Mahnke]

I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts or learn more about the show by visiting K curiosities podcast.com the show was created by me, Aaron Manke in partnership with How Stuff Works. I make another award winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, book series and television show and you can learn all about it over at the world of lore.com and until next time, stay curious.

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In a good way.

[Capital One Bank Guy]

He'd also tell you that this podcast is his favorite podcast too. Aw, really? Thanks Capital One Bank Guy.

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What's in your wallet?

[Capital One Bank Guy]

Terms apply. See CapitalOne.com Bank Capital One NA Member FDIC this is an iHeart podcast.