Fire Overnight at Newton Power Plant

Firefighters from a number of companies were out overnight due to a fire at the Newton power plant.

Wade Fire Protection District was notified about 3:30am of a fire at the plant east and south of Newton off Illinois 33. Wade issued a box alarm, which summoned firefighters from the Noble-Wakefield, Dieterich, Montrose, Effingham and Teutopolis fire departments. MABAS District 54 officials were on scene, and Oblong firefighters staffed the Newton firehouse in case of another call.

Micah Hirschfield of Dynegy, the company that owns the plant, said a portable building serving as a headquarters for the construction company doing work at the plant caught fire, perhaps due to a faulty air-conditioning unit. The construction crews are on scene to install a scrubber at the plant to allow use of various types of coal. An Illinois State Fire Marshal's Office representative was at the plant Wednesday morning to help officially determine the cause of the fire.

Hirschfield said no one was injured, and said there was no danger to the plant.

The fire was extinguished around 7am.