Oct 30 2008 7:44PM

Air Force Major Laurie Arellano says the fire near the Minuteman III missile east of Cheyenne was caused by a faulty battery charger in the unmanned launch complex and burned itself out.

It was discovered days later by a crew looking for a wiring problem.

Arellano says safety systems prevented an accidental launch. She also says a leak was prevented, but she would not discuss whether the missile contained a nuclear warhead.

The fire occurred in May.

It's the latest in a string of embarrassing missteps involving the nation's nuclear arsenal. In 2006, four electrical fuses for ballistic missile warheads were mistakenly shipped to Taiwan, and last year, a B-52 bomber was mistakenly armed with six nuclear-tipped missiles when it flew between Air Force bases in North Dakota and Louisiana.

The Air Force announced last week it was setting up a new Global Strike Command to better manage its nuclear-capable bombers and missiles.

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