Fire Breaks Out at South Carolina Nuclear Site

AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTThe fire at the Savannah River National Laboratory prompted officials to limit air traffic in the area. One person was hospitalized with minor injuries, officials said.A nuclear reactor at the Savannah River Site, a federal complex in South Carolina, in November.Credit...Brett Flashnick for The New York TimesOct. 28, 2026, 10:34 p.m. ETA fire broke out on Wednesday at a federal nuclear complex in South Carolina, prompting officials to shelter employees and limit air traffic before it was extinguished, officials said.The fire was reported at the Savannah River National Laboratory at the Savannah River Site, an Energy Department facility created in the 1950s to make tritium and plutonium for nuclear weapons. One person was hospitalized with minor injuries, the Energy Department said in an email.The Savannah River Site declared an emergency at 5:39 p.m. and later said that a fire had been extinguished. Officials also said that a radiological survey found no detectable levels of contamination.Employees not involved in the emergency response or in “shutdown operations” were sheltered as a precaution, the facility said in a news release. Entrances were closed to vehicles, and rail, river and air traffic around the site was limited, it said.The Savannah River Site is in Aiken County, southeast of Augusta. In the 1950s, it had five nuclear reactors, according to its website. Now, officials there dispose of radioactive liquid waste and focus on environmental conservation through the remediation of surface and groundwater.The South Carolina Emergency Management Division said on social media that it was ready to support the facility if needed. The agency did not respond to an inquiry.This is a developing story.Ishani Desai is a reporter covering breaking news and other topics, and a member of the 2026-27 Times Fellowship, a program for journalists early in their careers.Related ContentAdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENT