According to the operator, the fire was extinguished quickly, Reuters reports. “Production reactor number 3 at the Chinon nuclear power plant has been automatically shut down in accordance with the reactor safety and protection systems,” EDF said in a statement. The operator also shut down the fourth reactor, which is connected to the third. The cause of the fire has not been revealed.
France’s nuclear safety watchdog said in a separate statement that the fire caused a power outage at the plant, causing the plant to shut down automatically. Chinon is one of the oldest nuclear power plants in France.
