Duke Nuclear Plant Reports Transformer Fire

A transformer at a nuclear power plant in South Carolina caught fire on Sunday, burning for about 30 minutes, but no nuclear material was in danger of being released, a local television station reported.

Citing Oconee County fire officials, Greenville, South Carolina-based WYFF-TV reported that Unit 1 at the Oconee Nuclear Station was shut down as a precaution. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

The fire did not lead to any evacuations, the station reported, citing Scott Krein, director of the Oconee County Emergency Management agency. Krein added there was no threat to the public from the fire.

The plant is owned by Duke Energy, which will report the fire as an "unusual event," the lowest classification of emergency at a nuclear station, the station reported.