A file image of the Savannah River Site near Aiken, South Carolina. (The State/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Officials said an emergency was declared at a large Department of Energy nuclear complex in South Carolina after a laboratory fire injured one employee.
The Savannah River Site (SRS) issued a Site Area Emergency at 5:39 p.m. Wednesday, following a fire at the Savannah River National Laboratory near Aiken, South Carolina, the Department of Energy said.
The blaze was put out, and one employee was transported to a hospital with minor injuries, a DOE spokesperson told Fox News.
“No radiological contamination has been reported,” the spokesperson said.
A boat moves along the Savannah River in Savannah, Georgia. (Amy Galo)
As a precaution, officials closed barricades at the site’s entrances to incoming traffic.
Rail, river and air traffic in the area surrounding SRS was also restricted.
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Workers in areas affected by the incident who are not assisting with emergency response or shutdown operations were instructed to shelter in place.
SRS officials are coordinating the response, and state and local authorities have been notified.
Residents nearby were encouraged to follow local radio and television stations for updates and any instructions issued by state officials.
U.S. Department of Energy headquarters at the James V. Forrestal Building in Washington, D.C., on May 28, 2026. (Al Drago/Getty Images)
The Savannah River Site is a key installation in the nation’s nuclear weapons complex and has supported the U.S. military’s strategic deterrence mission for more than 75 years, according to the SRS website.
The Department of Energy says the site handles nuclear materials and radioactive waste, while cleanup efforts are focused on safeguarding the surrounding environment.
“While serving as one of the nation’s most critical pieces in the weapons complex, the site is also one of the safest major industrial sites in the world. Ensuring national security, protecting workers, the public, and the environment, are our highest goals,” the SRS website states.
The facility was built in the 1950s, when five reactors were constructed to produce materials for nuclear weapons, chiefly tritium and plutonium-239. The project also included several support facilities, among them two chemical separation plants.
