COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Colorado Springs Utilities and the Colorado Springs Fire Department have released an update on the fire at the Martin Drake power plant last week.
They say oil leaked onto a hot surface, turning to steam and causing a lot of smoke.
Unit 7, the generator where the fire happened, is back up and running. A gasket in that unit had deteriorated.
Colorado Springs Utilities said that’s not uncommon, and their regular inspection checks for that kind of thing. They said this gasket failed faster than usual.
“A power plant naturally is hazardous equipment that we operate 24/7 to supply the city, so it’s not uncommon for us to see situations that could cause larger damage,” Colorado Springs Utilities CEO Aram Benyamin said.
The utility said this fire was different from the one at the power plant in 2014, but their coordinated training with the fire department after that helped with the quick response last week.