Fire Erupts Again at Troubled Reactor; Copters May Be Used at Plant

"TOKYO — The Japanese government reported early Wednesday that a fire was burning at the No. 4 reactor of the troubled Fukushima Daiichi plant in northeastern Japan.

It was not immediately clear what the cause was. There was a fire at the plant on Tuesday, but the government said that had been doused.

The announcement came just hours after officials with the Tokyo Electric Power Company said that they would consider using helicopters in an attempt to put cold water into a boiling rooftop storage pool for spent uranium fuel rods. The rods are still radioactive and potentially as hot and dangerous as the fuel rods inside the reactors if not kept submerged in water."

Hiroko Tabuchi and Keith Bradsher report for the New York Times March 16, 2011.