A fire described by officials as “small” prompted the shutdown of one reactor at the Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Station in western Pennsylvania.
Operators of the Shippingport plant said an electrical short occurred shortly before 6 p.m. Tuesday outside the turbine where electricity is produced.
FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company spokeswoman Jennifer Young said the fire was not in the reactor or the reactor building and there was no danger to the public.
Emergency dispatchers in Beaver County said firefighters were summoned but weren't needed and didn't enter the plant.
FirstEnergy declared an “unusual event,” the lowest level of notification required by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, but ended it two hours later.
Young said Unit 1 will remain off line until officials determine the cause of the fire.
