One Person Injured in Fire at US Nuclear Complex; No Contamination Reported

A fire broke out at a US nuclear complex, leaving one person with minor injuries. No contamination was reported at the site as a result of the fire.

A US Department of Energy spokesperson, cited by Reuters on Thursday (29 October 2026), said the fire struck the Savannah River National Laboratory, part of the Savannah River Site complex in South Carolina, on Wednesday (28 October) local time.

The complex produced plutonium and tritium for nuclear weapons during the Cold War.

Citing Savannah River Site officials, the spokesperson said the fire had been extinguished and there were no reports of contamination. The cause of the fire was not yet clear.

The spokesperson added that the injured person was an employee at the complex who had been taken to a local hospital.

The fire also prompted an ‘area emergency’ status at the complex.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) imposed flight restrictions in the area while the fire was burning. The Savannah River Site operator said access by rail, river and road was also restricted.

Employees not involved in the emergency response or shutdown operations were told to shelter in place as a precaution.

The Savannah River Site was built near Jackson, South Carolina, in the early 1950s. After producing materials for nuclear weapons during the Cold War, the complex shifted its focus to waste clean-up and nuclear materials management.