Fire On Nuclear Sub At Maine Shipyard Hurts 7

A fire on an under-repair nuclear-powered submarine in Kittery, Maine, injured seven people as it burned for nearly 12 hours, our Newscast unit just reported.

As the Associated Press reports:

Crews responded at about 5:40 p.m. Wednesday to the USS Miami SSN 755 at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on an island in Kittery, a town near Portsmouth, N.H.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze early Thursday, and the shipyard reopened.

"The fire spread to spaces within the submarine that were difficult to access," shipyard Commander Bryant Fuller said in a news conference. "The heat and smoke contained in these confined spaces made it challenging for firefighters to combat the blaze."

Five firefighters and two crew members were treated for minor injuries.

Officials said the sub's nuclear reactor wasn't operating at the time and was never threatened. There were no weapons on board.

Seacoast Online adds:

Kittery Police Chief Paul Callaghan said the shipyard made no requests for police to evacuate residents in the area and there was no danger to the community.

Officials are now investigating what caused the fire.