The good news is that the fire at the Fukushima Reactor Number 4, the second fire there in as many days, is apparently out. The bad news is that white smoke, or maybe steam, is now rising from Reactor Number 3.

Why don't they know if it's smoke or steam? According to Japan's Kyodo News agency, Tokyo Electric and Power Company (TEPCO) officials say they can't check it out because the radiation levels at the site are too high. And in what may or may not be related news, Kyodo reports that TEPCO also says that it is "unable to confirm temperature at No.3 reactor's spent fuel pool..." a pool that reportedly contains 514 spent fuel rods.

This raises the question of whether the smoke/steam is being emitted from the reactor, or from the spent fuel pool. As Golob explains below, the latter would likely be the more serious situation.

Meanwhile, NHK is reporting that water levels are now falling in the spent fuel pool in the Number 5 reactor, although its fuel rods are still fully submerged.

UPDATE: Latest Kyodo News headlines...

BREAKING NEWS: Containment vessels of No.3 reactors may be damaged: Edano (11:41)

NEWS ADVISORY: Seawater injection into No.4 reactor via helicopter too risky: Edano (11:39)

BREAKING NEWS: Support from U.S. forces might be necessary to cool reactors: Edano (11:35)

BREAKING NEWS: Water injection into No.4 reactor has yet to begin: Edano (11:34)

BREAKING NEWS: Containment vessels of No.1, No.3 reactors may be damaged: Edano (11:30)