Minimal damage reported after Dry Fork Station fire

A fire at Dry Fork Station near Gillette, Wyoming, on Feb. 26 resulted in no injuries, isolated damage, and one day of decreased production.

The fire was detected when an employee conducting morning rounds smelled smoke near the boiler. He found the smoke coming out of one of the pulverizer’s coal feeders, that the cleanout conveyor belt was not running, and that the coal buildup was on fire. Normal shutdown procedures were conducted and the local fire department was called. The fire department extinguished the fire and washed the hot coal out of the pulverizer.

“The fire took one our pulverizers offline, so we had to run 385 megawatts (full load is 405 MW) until it could be repaired,” said Tom Stalcup, Dry Fork Station plant manager. “Luckily, everything we needed to do the repairs was in our inventory, so we were able to get it fixed and back to full load in one day.”

Stalcup said the root cause was determined to be the cleanout conveyor belt tripping, which catches any coal that spills off the coal feeder belt. When the conveyor tripped, the area filled up with coal, rubbed up against the belt, and ignited. Work is underway to tie the cleanout conveyor to an alarm in the control room so if the belt quits, staff will be immediately notified.  

“We are thankful for the Campbell County Fire Department for their quick response, which minimized damage,” Stalcup said. “Most importantly, we are thankful no one was hurt. We were also fortunate that the fire was contained, that all parts were available, and that the plant was able to return to full production in a very short time.”