Fire traps workers beneath Colorado power plant
DENVER, COLORADO - Five workers were trapped deep underground at a hydroelectric plant near Georgetown, Colorado, after a fire broke out, power company Xcel Energy Inc said.
Five contractors were working in an underground penstock, or pipeline, at the Cabin Creek Station, where the fire broke out. Xcel said the workers climbed to a safe distance from the blaze and were communicating with plant operators by radio.
The 48-inch diameter pipe was opened to get air into the pipe, Xcel spokeswoman Ethnie Groves told reporters at a news conference.
Firefighters from the Clear Creek County Fire Authority were battling the blaze. The plant was shut down for routine maintenance at the time, the company said. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
The pipeline is between 1,500 and 2,000 feet (460 and 610 meters) below ground and carries water from a reservoir to power turbines inside the plant.
The power station, which is west of Denver, has two turbines and a generating capacity of 324 megawatts.
Related News

Duke Energy Florida's smart-thinking grid improves response, power restoration for customers during Hurricane Ian
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - As Hurricane Ian made its way across Florida, Duke Energy's grid improvements were already on the job helping to combat power outages from the storm.
Smart, self-healing technology helped to automatically restore more than 160,000 customer outages and saved nearly 3.3 million hours (nearly 200 million minutes) of total lost outage time.
"Hurricane Ian is a strong reminder of the importance of grid hardening and storm preparedness to help keep the lights on for our customers," said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. "Self-healing technology is just one of many grid improvements that Duke Energy is making…