Power Plant Blaze Sends PA Firefighter to Hospital

A firefighter was taken to a hospital for possible heat exhaustion Friday after battling a fire at the Cheswick Generating Station in Springdale.

Multiple fire and EMS companies responded to the plant along the 100 block of Porter Street around 5:40 p.m.

Springdale fire Chief Kevin Wilhelm said insulation on piping and debris between the second and third floors of the main building caught fire, and he asked for extra staffing because of the heat.

“We know there’s always a lot of heat in that building,” Wilhelm said. “Just a safety precaution to make sure we had enough people to rotate crews in and out. We had a good, strong, quick response. The interior guys had a quick knockdown on it and kept it to where it originated.”

Plant personnel said temperatures can rise as high as 170 degrees in that area while in operation, Wilhelm said.

The firefighter is expected to recover. No other injuries were reported.

Firefighters from Frazer, East Deer, Arnold, Cheswick, Fawn Township, Brackenridge and Harrison also responded to the scene. Emergency responders began clearing the area about 8 p.m.

The chief said plant crews were expected to start repairs and have operations back up and running by the end of the night. Calls to a plant supervisor were not returned.

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