CALLAWAY UNUSUAL EVENT DECLARED DUE TO A FIRE IN THE TURBINE BUILDING LASTING GREATER THAN 15 MINUTES On July 26, 2013, at 2349 CDT, the Callaway nuclear power plant declared an Unusual Event due to a fire not extinguished within 15 minutes of control room notification, EAL HU 2.1. The fire was located in the turbine building near the main generator. Concurrent with the fire, the reactor tripped due to a turbine trip. All control rods fully inserted and all reactor coolant pumps (RCPs) tripped. The fire was extinguished and the licensee is in progress of restoring RCPs. Callaway notified the NRC Resident Inspector, State Emergency Management Agency and Local Authorities. Callaway terminated the Unusual Event at 0101 CDT. Decay heat was being removed via aux feed water from the steam generators to the condenser. Visual inspection determined the location of the fire to be in the phase B generator bus duct. Upon further review, Callaway believes that the initially reported EAL for the UE notification, HU 2.1, was not applicable. Although indications of a fire were present for greater than 15 minutes, the criteria at Callaway apply to a fire within 50 feet of safety related equipment. There was no safety related equipment within 50 feet of where the fire occurred. The proper EAL classification should have been HU 3.1 due to release of potentially toxic gas or asphyxiant or flammable gas that could impact plant operation. This EAL is applicable due to the heavy smoke release from burning electrical insulation and melted bus and ductwork which prevented access to the turbine building area where the fire took place. Event Number: 49219 nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/event-status/event/en.html#en49219
Posted on: Mon, 29 Jul 2013 18:52:12 +0000
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