Radioactive material was released after a fire broke out at a nuclear facility in South Carolina. A site area emergency was declared at the federal nuclear complex in the Palmetto State. The fire has since been brought under control.
Authorities announced the emergency at 5:39 pm on Wednesday after flames broke out in a single room at the Savannah River National Laboratory near Aiken, with the site posting an update on its official X page.
Officials informed local broadcaster WRDW that there was “an unfiltered, ground-level radiological release”. They emphasized that no contamination was reported outside the impacted facility, and there has been no indication of consequences beyond the site’s boundaries.
Despite this, the Federal Aviation Administration imposed a flight restriction, citing a US government “nuclear incident” at the location.
“A fire was reported at the Savannah River National Laboratory but has since been extinguished. No contamination has been reported outside the affected facility,” the SRS posted on X.
“As a precaution, barricades at site entrances have been closed to incoming traffic. Rail, river, and air traffic in the vicinity of SRS is also being restricted. SRS officials are directing response efforts and have notified the appropriate state and local government agencies,” the statement added.
“Local residents should tune in to local radio and TV stations where state officials will announce any actions citizens may need to take. Residents should stay tuned to these stations for updated instructions.”
Staff affected by the incident were understood to have sheltered in place throughout the situation as a precautionary measure. They were situated in Area A, the laboratory section, and took refuge behind barricades, the statement confirmed. They were subsequently permitted to depart, though no entry was allowed, WRDW reported, partly referencing the statement.
The origin of the blaze and the type and quantity of substance discharged, along with whether any injuries occurred, all remain undisclosed.
The emergency declaration put out Wednesday is the second-highest of three categories of emergencies at the site and indicates “something more serious has occurred,” according to the site’s community preparedness information. The emergency declaration ended Wednesday night after the fire was extinguished.
The SRS sits on approximately 310 square miles of territory straddling the South Carolina-Georgia border. It was established in the 1950s and manufactured plutonium and tritium for atomic weapons throughout the Cold War, though its operations are now concentrated on nuclear materials management, environmental remediation and research.
