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Fire at East Texas power plant extinguished, no injuries reported

Units from Tatum, Church Hill, Crims Chapel, Elderville-Lakeport, Beckville, Kilgore, Henderson, Rusk County Rescue Unit, and Longview Fire Department responded.

RUSK COUNTY, Texas — An electrical fire at Vistra’s Martin Lake Power Plant in the Tatum area was extinguished Wednesday afternoon following a quick response. 

Jenny Lyon, media spokesperson for the facility, said employees detected the fire on the mezzanine level of the plant’s Unit 1. Following immediate reaction from the team, onsite fire brigade and outside emergency responders, there were no injuries and there was never a threat to public safety. 

"Vistra deeply appreciates local emergency responders' assistance in supporting our efforts to extinguish the fire. An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway," Lyon said. 

The fire was reported at 10:48 a.m. and it was extinguished a few hours later. Units from Tatum, Church Hill, Crims Chapel, Elderville-Lakeport, Beckville, Kilgore, Henderson, Rusk County Rescue Unit, and Longview Fire Department responded to the scene. 

According to the Rusk County OEM’s Support Services Director Michael Searcy, it appeared that one turbine had caught on fire. 

CBS19 is working to get more information and we will provide updates as soon as possible. 

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