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Where there's smoke, not necessarily fire
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By PAT GROSSMITH
New Hampshire Union Leader Staff
Monday, Nov. 2, 2009
BOW – Fire crews from more than a half-dozen communities were at PSNH's main power plant this morning for a reported two-alarm blaze but a company spokesman said there never was a fire.
Some machinery oil dripped onto a pipe, causing insulation to smolder, according to spokesman Martin Murray. The fire department was contacted and told of the incident while employees used dry chemicals to take care of the problem.The oil drip happened in a 6 by 9-foot area under a turbine, Murrray said. "We had some oil from machinery drip down onto a steam pipe," he said, explaining the oil caused insulation to smolder. As soon as employees realized it, they notified the fire department which did respond.
UnionLeader.com has yet to reach someone from the Bow Fire Department for comment.
Firefighters from Bow, Allenstown, Concord, Pembroke, Dunbarton, Hooksett and Henniker were dispatched to the plant, known as the Merrimack Station, the company's prime power plant at 97 River Road.
Murray said no one lost power as a result of the incident.
The Merrimack Station produces 478 megawatts of power, supplies 189,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers and began commercial operation in 1968, according to PSNH's website. It operates on two coal-fired steam turbines, and two combustion turbines use only during great power demands.
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YOUR COMMENTS
Scott,
Get your own facts stright before posting. The version of the article that was posted this morning stated that there was indeed a two alarm fire burning at the plant. This was quickly removed when it was determined that tere was in fact no fire.
- Quinn, Bow
Some people just don't get it. If you have a problem with PSNH, go buy a generator hook it up and have them cut your service off your house thus no more PSNH power. How about the $450 Million Dollar upgrade they are making to the plant. It is going to be the cleanist coal fired plant in the country. What are you going to complain about then? Too much water vapor in the air that is making your clothes damp? Employees put out a fire that could have shut off power to 188,000 homes and businesses.....Get a life and move to VT.
- Matt, Candia
Devin,
Get your facts straight BEFORE posting your comments!
There was no "fire", just some smoldering insulation that was quickly handeled by employees.
By your comments, it would appear that you have a grudge with PSNH in regards to the Bow plant.
How about saying "Thank You" to the employees for stopping what could have led to another "enviromental problem".
- Scott, Manchester
Devin,
Those comments are just dumb. All power plants are modular in nature and routinely updated to conform to environmental regulations and for efficiency.
- Mike, Dunbarton
Build Seabrook reactor 2 and then take this dinosaur plant off-line! How many thousands of cases of emphysema, lung cancer, and children’s asthma are were contributed to by this plant? Lots and lots. How many cases of any disease has Seabrook contributed to? None.
- Jim, Manchester
It sounds to me like the workers handled it correctly. Fires can get out of hand very quickly and if the alarm hadn't been sounded, the fire could have been disastrous due to the delay caused by the internal response. These workers protected themselves, their colleagues and the public by calling for backup while attacking the fire themselves.
Kudos!
- Ken S, Merrimack NH USA
This seems to happen quite often there doesn't it?
- Pete G., Manchester
Ah yes, good old PSNH. They will run that old coal plant into the ground. The merrimack river valley is a hotspot for mercury.
I hope they get that fire under control quickly. I haven't driven over that direction so hopefully we can get some eye witness reports.
- Devin, Concord
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