Board to release report on Xcel fire that killed 5

DENVER (AP) — The U.S. Chemical Safety Board will release a 15-minute safety video and its final report of its investigation into a tunnel fire that killed five workers at an Xcel Energy Inc. hydroelectric plant in Colorado.

The independent federal agency investigates serious chemical accidents and makes safety recommendations. In a trailer for the safety video release Tuesday, the board says Minneapolis-based Xcel chose contractor RPI Coatings Inc. mainly because of its low bid.

The fire started when flammable vapors ignited on a machine used to spray a coat of epoxy sealant on a portion of a 4,000-foot-long water pipe, trapping five workers inside. The workers survived the fire for about 45 minutes before they died at the site 45 miles west of Denver.

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