Firefighters put out a coal fire at the Fort Wainwright power plant Monday afternoon.
According to Fort Wainwright spokesperson Cole Keller, Fort Wainwright Fire & Emergency Services, along with Fairbanks Fire Department, responded to a fire at the Doyon Utilities Central Heat and Power Plant at 2:36 p.m. Monday.
“The initial alarm was received as a deluge water flow activation in the facility’s coal tower,” Keller said.
The fire was active when crews arrived. “Crews encountered smoke and heat on the fourth floor of the coal tower, where the facility’s deluge suppression system had already activated,” Keller said. Keller said that the system knocked down a fire in the coal bucket elevator.
“Further investigation revealed active fire and high heat signatures in the coal bunkers between the fifth and sixth floors of the main plant,” according to Keller. Crews put out the fire in the coal bunkers while minimizing damage to active equipment.
“Crews used thermal imaging cameras, standpipe systems, and coordinated ventilation tactics to address the fire while avoiding sensitive operational areas,” Keller said.
The power plant continued to operate throughout the fire. No injuries were reported.
Contact Haley Lehman at 907-459-7575 or by email at hlehman@newsminer.com.
