What was the Windscale fire?
Q: What was the Windscale fire?
A: The Windscale fire was a fire that occurred in Britain's first nuclear reactor at Windscale (now Sellafield) on 10 October 1957.
Q: What did the fire spread over?
A: The fire spread radioactive fallout over hundreds of miles.
Q: Was all the contamination made public immediately after the fire?
A: No, some of the most dangerous contamination was kept secret, and its effects only came to light years later.
Q: What is still present in the damaged core of the reactor?
A: Ruptured fuel cartridges containing uranium are still jammed in the fire damaged core, awaiting safe removal.
Q: How many people died from the contamination caused by the fire?
A: Official estimates are that about a hundred people died from the contamination.
Q: What was the cost of the cleanup after the Windscale fire?
A: The cleanup cost over a hundred million pounds.
Q: Was the Windscale fire the first nuclear facility fire on record?
A: Yes, the Windscale fire was the first fire in any nuclear facility.
