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Update: NRC Confirms Fort Calhoun Nuclear Plant Fire "Serious"

Federal regulators have confirmed their preliminary finding that last June's fire at an idled Nebraska nuclear plant represented a serious safety threat.

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Reporter: Associated Press

Federal regulators have confirmed their preliminary finding that last June's fire at an idled Nebraska nuclear plant represented a serious safety threat.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission released its final determination on Tuesday, saying the small fire at the Fort Calhoun plant 19 miles north of Omaha merited the NRC's most serious "red" finding. The finding mirrored the preliminary conclusion announced on March 12.

The fire briefly knocked out the cooling system for used fuel. The NRC says the plant was shut down at the time of the fire, and temperatures never exceeded safe levels.

But the NRC says the fire is considered a major concern because it could have happened any time and because workers didn't fully investigate an unusual smell in the area three days earlier.