Fire in coal bunker at plant takes four hours to cool

CEDAR RAPIDS – Firefighters used water and foam to stop a fire in a coal bunker at a power plant Thursday morning.

Crews spent more than four hours at the Prairie Creek Generating Station, 3300 C St. SW, after Alliant Energy employees reported smoke coming from an 80-foot tall coal bunker around midnight. Fire Department spokesman Greg Buelow said the bunker contained about 30 tons of coal, which was about 5 percent of its capacity.

Firefighters noticed and extinguished smoldering coal in two other bunkers, as well. No injuries were reported.

Buelow said the boiler that uses the coal from the original problem bunker was shut down for annual maintenance. The coal that was generating the smoke had not been moved since Saturday when the shutdown began, he said.

The coal is burned in a furnace to generate power. Plant officials did not anticipate any disruption of service, Buelow said.