Safety is number one in most plants lost time accidents and recordables do mean a lot and since this was a confined space a rescue team was supposed to be on standby ready to extract people and it turns out the men were outside contractors. There will be an OSHA investigation. This is from the company website
News Releases
10/02/2007
Xcel Energy is responding to a chemical fire in the Hydro penstock at Cabin Creek Station
DENVER - Xcel Energy is working with Clear Creek County Fire Authority to extinguish a fire inside its penstock at the Cabin Creek Station hydro electric facility near Georgetown, Colo. The plant was shut down for routine maintenance on the penstock when a fire broke out inside. The fire has not been extinguished at this time.
Currently, five contractors who were working on the pipe are still inside waiting for the fire to be extinguished. They have climbed to a safe distance from the fire inside the penstock and are waiting for the fire department to extinguish the flames before they can get out.
More information will be disseminated at it becomes available.
0/02/20078\
UPDATE: Xcel Energy is responding to a chemical fire in the hydro penstock at Cabin Creek Station
DENVER - Xcel Energy is working with the Henderson Mine Rescue Unit, West Metro Fire, the Arvada Haz-Mat Crew, and the Clear Creek County Fire Authority to extinguish a fire inside its penstock at the Cabin Creek Station hydroelectric facility near Georgetown, Colo. At the time, there were a total of nine contractors working in the pipe 1,500-2,000 feet below ground applying an epoxy coating to the inside to prevent corrosion. When the fire broke out, four of the nine were below the fire location and were able to exit the pipe. The remaining five contractors were able to climb a safe distance, 1,000 feet above the fire, and remain there waiting to be rescued.
A search and rescue crew is standing by to reach the workers from the top of the penstock after it is determined that the fire is out. A special Henderson Mine Rescue Unit crew trained in confined space mine rescue and firefighting is approaching the site of the fire from below to assess the situation and extinguish any remaining hot spots.
There was communication with the five workers shortly after the fire broke out and there were no reported injuries at that time. Approximately 40 minutes after the fire started, fresh air was piped to the workers and oxygen bottles were lowered to them.
More information will be disseminated as it becomes available.
News Releases
10/02/2007
UPDATE: Xcel Energy reacts to deaths at Cabin Creek Station
DENVER - The management and employees of Xcel Energy are saddened to learn of the deaths of five contractors involved in a fire today at the company’s Cabin Creek Station hydroelectric facility near Georgetown, Colo.
“We want to express our deepest sympathies to the families, friends and co-workers of those who died,” said Tim Taylor, president and CEO, Public Service Company of Colorado, an Xcel Energy company. “Certainly, we’ll be working closely with the authorities to investigate what happened.”
When the fire occurred, nine contractors were working in a penstock 1,500-2,000 feet below ground, applying an epoxy coating to the inside of the pipe to prevent corrosion. Four of the nine were positioned below the fire location and were able to exit the pipe. The remaining five were reached by rescue workers who confirmed their deaths.
I can tell you this it has been a long time since I was last down at the base of a dam it is a very eerie place to be when you are in a tunnel where you are a couple of hundred feet or more below the surface of the dam and the pressure is pushing on the walls I remember the water seeping through and flowing along the drains in the floor it is a lot of pressure to work under such conditions then to have a chemical reaction and fire inside the penstock! that is the tube that brings the water down to the turbine or from the turbine depending on the design of the plant. This was not a routine job since you don't open up and crawl into them all the time and like I say it is a confined space entry they did have a rescue team standing by to retrieve them just seems like the fire was to severe to get to them! The work in a plant is more safe than in a coal mine especially one where they are purposefully undermining the support columns like they were in Utah!
On Edit CNN is carrying the story this is a Peaking plant that uses water stowed at higher elevation to run the turbine generators during peak demand then pumps the water back up the mountain off peak to store it for the next peak cycle.
May they rest in peace.
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