Small fire burns near old reactor

A 3-acre fire broke out near the Experimental Breeder Reactor-I National Historical Landmark on Tuesday morning.

As a precaution, museum tours were suspended and the facility was evacuated as fire crews put out the flames near a fence on the outside perimeter. Eighteen people were evacuated — five INL employees and 13 museum visitors. The visitors were escorted from the building and left the facility in their own vehicles, while the employees were transported to a nearby facility.

The fire started at 10:20 a.m. and was declared contained at 11:10 a.m., the INL said. The EBR-I museum has reopened and INL employees have returned to provide tours and normal operational support.

Fire crews are on site and will continue to monitor the area until the fire is declared out.

According to the INL, the reactor became the first power plant to produce electricity using atomic energy in 1951. It has been shut down since 1963.