A fire at the Dounreay nuclear plant in Scotland, involving sodium residues from decommissioning work, has been contained by on-site firefighters.

The fire broke out at around 12.45am last Friday in a small, tented area inside the Prototype Fast Reactor complex. It took the site's firefighters, who are specially commissioned for work on the plant, around three hours to put out. Firefighters used graphex, a suppressant for sodium fires, to douse the flames. Some firefighters remained on the scene until 4.30am to make sure the area was safe.

Nobody was harmed and a person who was in the building at the time is reported to have left immediately after the fire alarm sounded.

A spokesman for Dounreay described the fire as "pretty minimal" but said that sodium could be “volatile” when ignited.

Work in the area has been halted pending an investigation.