The Latest: Michigan power plant remains closed after fire

EAST CHINA TOWNSHIP, Mich. – The Latest on the fire at a power plant in Michigan (all times local):

6 p.m.

A power plant about 40 miles northeast of Detroit remains closed as officials continue assessing the situation following a fire.

DTE Energy said late Friday afternoon that its access to the St. Clair Power Plant in East China Township in St. Clair County remains limited and that there is no estimate when the facility will reopen.

There were no injuries from the blaze, which was reported about 6:30 p.m. Thursday. The utility says a coal-fired generation unit that produces electricity inside the facility caught fire and employees were evacuated.

In an earlier statement, Detroit-based DTE Energy said air monitoring was in place and readings were “well within normal limits outside the facility perimeter.”

The utility says customers won’t see any effects on electrical service.

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9:40 a.m.

A utility says fire crews have extinguished a blaze at a power plant along the St. Clair River in Michigan.

DTE Energy Co. issued the update Friday morning about its St. Clair Power Plant in East China Township, about 40 miles northeast of Detroit.

The utility says crews remain on the scene and the plant is closed. There’s no estimate on when it might reopen.

There were no injuries from the fire, which was reported about 6:30 p.m. Thursday. The utility says a coal-fired generation unit that produces electricity inside the facility caught fire and employees were evacuated.

In a statement, DTE says air monitoring is in place and readings are “well within normal limits outside the facility perimeter.”

Detroit-based DTE says customers won’t see any effects on electrical service.

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6 a.m.

Fire crews worked through the night to extinguish a blaze at a power plant along the St. Clair River in Michigan.

The St. Clair Fire Department says Friday morning that crews went into the building overnight to look for hot spots and remained at DTE Energy Co.’s St. Clair Power Plant in East China Township, about 40 miles northeast of Detroit.

There were no reports of injuries in the fire, which was reported about 6:30 p.m. Thursday. The utility says a coal-fired generation unit that produces electricity inside the facility caught fire and employees were evacuated.

Officials said at a news conference late Thursday the fire was about 80 per cent under control.

DTE spokesman Pete Ternes says in an email the utility plans a statement with an update later in the morning.

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2:25 a.m.

Fire crews are expected to work overnight to extinguish a blaze at a power plant along the St. Clair River, northeast of Detroit.

According to The Times-Herald of Port Huron, the fire at the DTE Energy plant in East China Township, Michigan, was about 80 per cent under control Thursday night.

St. Clair Fire Chief Dave Westrick says crews should be able to start looking for hot spots sometime Friday morning.

No one was injured in the blaze and there was no immediate public health concern.

Detroit-based DTE Energy said the fire broke out after a coal-fired generation unit that produces electricity inside the facility caught fire.

DTE President Trevor Lauer told the newspaper the plant is offline but that isn’t expected to impact services.