On 10 October 1957 , the Windscale Piles were shut down following a fire in Pile 1 during a routine maintenance check , which destroyed the core and released an estimated 750 terabecquerels ( 20,000 curies ) of radioactive material , including 22 TBq of Cs-137 and 740 TBq of I-131 into the shafts . Thanks to innovative filters installed by Nobel laureate Sir John Cockcroft 95 % of the material was captured . As a precautionary measure , milk from surrounding farming areas was destroyed . Following the fire , Pile 1 was unserviceable , and Pile 2 , although undamaged by the fire , was shut down as a precaution
a fire in Pile 1
Windscale fire
Sellafield