A fire at a US Department of Energy nuclear research facility in South Carolina sparked concerns over a possible “radiological release” Wednesday evening, prompting authorities to halt rail, river and air traffic in the surrounding area.
The blaze started in a single room at the Savannah River National Laboratory shortly before 5:40 p.m. and was extinguished in less than two hours, officials said.
Although no contamination was detected outside the “affected” building, the fire resulted in an “unfiltered ground-level radiological release,” WRDW reported, citing the Savannah River Site (SRS).
Employees in the Area A laboratory complex were ordered to shelter in place behind barricades for roughly 30 minutes, sources told the local station.
SRS said in a press release that workers who were not participating in emergency response or shutdown operations were also sheltered as a precaution.
Rail, river and air traffic were restricted in the area, while incoming traffic was barred from entering the site, the department said.
The Savannah River Site is a 310-square-mile US Department of Energy complex spanning several South Carolina counties. It includes the Savannah River National Laboratory, where the fire occurred.
According to the local outlet, the laboratory researches nuclear environmental cleanup and related technologies. The facility therefore serves both as a cleanup operation and as an active center for national security and nuclear science.
