The cause of a Monday blaze at the Chinook Power Station just west of Swift Current is still not known, but the chief of the fire crew that responded says a good job was done limiting the damage.

Louis Cherpin, fire chief for the RM of Swift Current Fire Department, said they were called around noon for the fire in an electrical room in a building on the east side of the power plant.

Seven members from the fire department met with members of the SaskPower safety staff and staff from Burns & McDonnell, which were hired by SaskPower to build the plant, and upon arrival were given all the extinguishers they needed.

"It was an intense situation, but the fire wasn't that intense," said Cherpin.

Cherpin added that while the fire might wind up being costly from a financial standpoint, and there was a ton of smoke, the inferno was limited.

"The intensity of the fire, and the what could have been, I think we did a very good job. We were able to get it in quickly and knock it down... We spent five hours out there making sure there was no fire extension, making sure it stayed in the room. And with the help of committed safety people, in Burns & McDonnell, and the subcontractor electrical people, I believe the fire was minimal, in the sense that it might be lots of money, but it still didn't extend beyond that building."

Cherpin said it was the second call they've had to the power plant, with the first - a minor one - coming last February.

"Their safety priority is second to none, and they do a phenomenal job with that," he said. "You can tell when you go out there how safety is top notch, and very important to them. Which is good for the community and the people working there. I do want to thank them, and obviously the electrical company that is subcontracted by Burns & McDonnell, they did a wonderful job too, and gave us all their information, all the tools necessary to get in there quickly and put that fire out."

Five dry-chemical fire extinguishers, and five CO2 fire extinguishers were used, as water isn't a good match for electricity.

Cherpin is going back to the scene tomorrow to try to determine a cause.