A fire at a federal nuclear complex in South Carolina prompted an emergency declaration on Wednesday evening.
What happened
A fire broke out at the Savannah River Site’s national laboratory in Aiken, but was extinguished, according to site officials. The incident led to a Site Area Emergency declaration and a temporary flight restriction in the area, citing a U.S. government “nuclear incident” at the federal complex.
As a precaution, barricades at site entrances were closed to incoming traffic, and rail, river, and air traffic in the vicinity of the site was restricted. The facility, which covers about 310 square miles, went into brief lockdown, with employees in the lab area sheltering in place behind barricades for about 30 minutes.
Despite the incident, officials stated that “no contamination has been reported outside the affected facility” and that there was no danger to the public outside the site's boundaries.
