Transformer fire at Watts Bar nuclear plant extinguished by on-site crew
Nov 2021Published 6 Nov 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
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Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): Tennessee Valley Authority
What happened
On a Tuesday night, reported as about 9:20pm and most likely 30 November 2021, a failed transformer caught fire at the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority. The source identifies the fire as being in the Unit 2 main bank transformer, and says equipment in the switchyard that was involved would be evaluated and repaired. The on-site fire brigade extinguished the fire, and no injuries were reported.
The incident was classed as an Unusual Event, the least significant of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's emergency classification levels. Station operators carried out their emergency response actions in line with their training. The operator stated that public, employee and nuclear safety were maintained throughout. Off-site fire personnel from Meigs and Rhea County also responded, but the fire was reported to be out before they arrived. The operator said it was developing a recovery plan for Unit 2 and would build on its initial assessment to keep Unit 1 safe.
Contributing factors
The source reports that a transformer failed and caused the fire. The cause of the failure was not yet determined at the time of reporting. The source says equipment in the switchyard involved would be evaluated and repaired to help identify the cause.
Lessons learned
- Main bank transformers need condition monitoring and fire protection sized for an oil-filled unit failure, so that a fault is detected early and contained.
- Emergency response training and rehearsed on-site firefighting allowed the fire to be put out before off-site crews arrived, which shows the value of maintaining a capable on-site brigade.
- Operators should assess the adjacent unit and plan recovery in parallel, so that a fault on one unit is less likely to disrupt safe operation of the other.
More lessons on detection and monitoring, worker safety and safe systems of work, spacing, layout and fire spread, from every incident on the register.
Source
Other entries that name Watts
Published 2026-11-06. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
