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Local firefighters responded to a fire at the Cayuga Power Plant Sunday morning at 2:10am.  The fire occurred near one of the Cayuga Drive plant's two 150 mws turbines, which was shut down at the time of the incident.  Upstate New York Power Producers Chief Operating Officer Jerry Goodenough says the turbine is off line while the incident is being investigated.

"We are investigating the incident for root cause and the turbine is still off line, Goodenough says.  "We are conducting a thorough investigation and have not determined a root cause."

The fire was contained by Lansing and Cayuga Heights firefighters within 30 minutes once firefighters arrived at the scene.  Nobody was injured.  In a press release Sunday afternoon the company expressed thanks to local firefighters and the plant employees, some of whom are members of the Lansing Volunteer Fire Department.

"The fire was under control in about 30  minutes after our arrival," says Lansing Fire Chief Scott Purcell.  "Due to the nature of the hot equipment that normally runs at operating temperature of 900 to 1000 degrees we had to use dry chemical extinguishers to put out the fire. We did call Fulton Fire Extinguishers to have them on standby to refill our extinguishers, and Cornell University also sent extinguishers."

The Lansing FIre Department responded with 1 aerial ladder truck, two engines and a heavy rescue vehicle.  The Cayuga Heights Fire Department responded with two engines.  Bangs responded with one ambulance to stand by. About 28 fire fighters responded.

"All of us at Upstate New York Power Producers wish to thank our employees and the local fire departments for their outstanding and immediate support," the release stated.

Goodenough also had high praise for the local fire departments that responded to the incident.

"Those guys really came through," he says.  "They are a great bunch of people."

Purcell reports that the turbine was shut down prior to the arrival of the firefighters.  Goodenough says that the incident will not impact the plant's ability to operate.  The other turbine is currently operating at full capacity.

"The plant consists of 2 units each 150 mws.  With the turbine shut down, we are producing 150 mws and meeting all current obligations," he says.

The future of the plant is still unknown as company officials continue to develop a plan to repower the coal plant with natural gas that will be acceptable to the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC). In December the PSC granted plant officials an extension until February 1 to complete its plan, after the company apparently reached an impasse with NYSEG, which originally favored a plan to upgrade the power grid that would also close the plant.

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