A fire at the Savannah River Site’s national laboratory in Aiken, South Carolina, prompted officials to declare a Site Area Emergency on Wednesday evening, though authorities stated there was no evidence of contamination outside the facility’s boundaries.
The incident began around 5:39 p.m. local time at the Savannah River National Laboratory, part of the federal nuclear complex. Emergency crews extinguished the fire within approximately two hours of its reporting, according to the Savannah River Site (SRS). Officials confirmed the blaze was unfiltered and resulted in a ground-level radiological release, but emphasized it was contained within the affected facility.
In response to the emergency, barricades at site entrances were closed to incoming traffic, and restrictions were placed on rail, river, and air traffic near the vicinity. Employees in the affected areas who were not part of emergency response or shutdown operations were directed to shelter in place as a precaution. The SRS directed response efforts, and relevant state and local agencies were notified.
Local residents were advised to monitor local radio and television stations for updates and any instructions from state officials. The U.S. Department of Energy, which oversees the SRS, stated that no contamination had been reported outside the facility.
The Savannah River Site is a federal nuclear reservation spanning over 300 square miles in South Carolina, originally established in the 1950s for nuclear weapons production and now used for research, waste management, and environmental cleanup. The site includes multiple laboratories and facilities handling radioactive materials.
This is the latest in a series of incidents at the SRS, which has faced scrutiny over safety protocols and environmental concerns in recent years. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control has previously cited the site for violations, though no immediate details on this incident’s compliance status were available.
Authorities have not disclosed the cause of the fire, and investigations are ongoing. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has been notified and is coordinating with the Department of Energy to assess the situation.