Fire at Pilgrim Nuclear During Start-Up

Plant personnel are investigating the cause of a fire that broke out Monday morning during start-up at Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, causing the plant to go offline again.

The fire started in an auxiliary oil pump motor in the Turbine Building Lubricating Oil Room at 3:53 a.m., Monday, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Plymouth firefighters responded to the fire, but plant workers were able to extinguish it using dry chemical extinguishers before firefighters arrived.

There were no injuries to plant or offsite personnel and no threat to public health or safety, according to Entergy spokesman Carol Wightman.

The NRC says the plant is in a safe condition and plant personnel are investigating the cause. The plant will be restarted after a thorough evaluation and any necessary repairs are completed.

Pilgrim has been offline since April 14 for refueling and maintenance. There's no timeline for when the plant will return to service, because, Wightman said, "Pilgrim Station operates in a deregulated, competitive market."