Major fire at Didcot B power station investigated
'The whole tower was up in flames with smoke billowing into the sky,' says one Didcot resident

A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
An investigation has been launched after a major fire broke out at Didcot B power station in Oxfordshire last night.
Dozens of firefighters and 25 fire engines were called in to tackle the blaze after it broke out in one of the cooling towers at around 8pm.
Several people were working on the site at the time, but nobody was injured and the fire was brought under control within about two hours.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Officials have ruled out arson and terrorism, but are yet to determine the cause of the fire.
Thames Valley Police had advised local residents to stay indoors and keep their windows and doors closed, but Oxfordshire chief fire officer Dave Etheridge has since said there is no risk to the public.
Steve Shadbolt, who lives opposite the station, told The Times: "There was this incredibly bright light and for a moment I couldn't work out what it was. Then I saw the whole tower was up in flames with smoke billowing into the sky. About ten minutes later a second tower caught fire, which made the whole night light up."
The gas-fired power station facility, owned by RWE npower, has been partly closed. However, Energy Secretary Ed Davey said National Grid had assured him that there was no risk to energy supplies.
Didcot B, which produces enough electricity to power a million homes, opened in 1997. The fire comes less than three months after Didcot A was demolished in a controlled explosion.
Neil Scott, the plant's station manager, told ITV that half of the plant is running normally and said he was "pretty confident" that the rest of the plant would be up and running by the end of the week.
The Times warns that if it remains shut down for a long period it would worsen the risk of power shortages this winter. The spare capacity in Britain's power system, the difference between the maximum available supply and peak demand, is "already tight", says the newspaper, and has been further eroded by safety issues at two nuclear power stations, Heysham 1 and Hartlepool.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
-
Today’s political cartoons — September 29, 2023
Friday's cartoons - Biden's dog bite incident, the government shutdown and more
By The Week Staff Published
-
'A teetering democracy of gerontocrats?'
Instant opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass Published
-
Every 'Saw' film, ranked
The Explainer The highs and lows of the gory horror soap opera
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
Reader favourites
Speed Read A selection of short but sweet features from across The Week magazine
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Home Office worker accused of spiking mistress’s drink with abortion drug
Speed Read Darren Burke had failed to convince his girlfriend to terminate pregnancy
By The Week Staff Published
-
In hock to Moscow: exploring Germany’s woeful energy policy
Speed Read Don’t expect Berlin to wean itself off Russian gas any time soon
By The Week Staff Published
-
Were Covid restrictions dropped too soon?
Speed Read ‘Living with Covid’ is already proving problematic – just look at the travel chaos this week
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Inclusive Britain: a new strategy for tackling racism in the UK
Speed Read Government has revealed action plan setting out 74 steps that ministers will take
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sandy Hook families vs. Remington: a small victory over the gunmakers
Speed Read Last week the families settled a lawsuit for $73m against the manufacturer
By The Week Staff Published
-
Farmers vs. walkers: the battle over ‘Britain’s green and pleasant land’
Speed Read Updated Countryside Code tells farmers: ‘be nice, say hello, share the space’
By The Week Staff Published
-
Motherhood: why are we putting it off?
Speed Read Stats show around 50% of women in England and Wales now don’t have children by 30
By The Week Staff Published