GRDA Begins Damage Assessment After Chouteau Power Plant Fire

The Grand River Dam Authority says the fire at its Chouteau plant is out and the plant's management has begun a damage assessment.

Late Friday, GRDA spokesman Justin Alberty says an area housing a turbine at the coal-fired plant caught fire after an apparent lightning strike Friday evening.

He says the strike shut down a coolant pump which lubricates one of the plant's two turbines.  Workers attempted to restart the pump and when that failed, the turbine continued to spin, overheated and started a fire.  

A number of area fire departments were called to the plant just east of Highway 69 and north of Highway 412 in Mayes County.

Alberty says another turbine located nearby was shut down as a precaution.  He says workers inside the plant at the time were able to get out safely and there were no injuries.

GRDA has indicated it could be at least a year before the turbine is replaced.

GRDA says there was no loss of power to customers served by the power plant.  Justin Alberty says the plant is part of a regional power grid and other plants connected to that grid helped keep everything online.