Arkansas Blog

Because I've been getting some e-mail from a hot rumor mill in the Arkansas River Valley, I checked with Entergy and was told there was an electrical fire in an "auxiliary extension building" of Unit 2 of the nuclear generating station near Russellville about 1 p.m. today. Both generating units remain on-line and the fire, which was quickly extinguished, presented no danger, a spokesman said. I have a call in for further information.

UPDATE: Phil Fisher, spokesman for Entergy at the scene, says an electrical fire was extinguished with a hand-held extinguisher in about 10 minutes. The cause isn't known. It affected a backup safety system and until that system is repaired, the plant will remain on the second-highest alert status. But he said there'd been no radiation release and no danger to the public. Bus drivers at the nearby London schools were called in early in the event an evacuation would be required, but schools in the area otherwise had normal days, he said.