Fire at US nuclear weapons lab Savannah River National Laboratory; emergency lifted, no leak

A fire broke out at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) in the US state of South Carolina, causing alarm across the area. The facility is regarded as an important complex of the US Department of Energy. The fire was reported at around 5:39 pm.

On receiving news of the fire, the administration immediately declared a "Site Area Emergency". Because nuclear weapons work and nuclear research are carried out at the centre, concern spread among people living nearby as word of the fire got around.

Fire brigade and emergency services reached the spot. Firefighters brought the blaze fully under control in about two hours. The entire affected area was then checked closely. Security officials said there had been no leak of any radiological or hazardous material outside the facility. Once the situation was fully under control, the emergency was formally withdrawn.

Given the seriousness of the fire, the administration put strict security measures in place at once. As a precaution, the main gates of the Savannah River Site (SRS) complex were shut and all vehicles from outside were barred from entering. Air traffic over the area, the local railway service and the movement of vessels in the Savannah River were also halted for some time.

All staff not needed for security operations or emergency management were told to shelter in place. Various federal emergency agencies, local police and state experts were keeping a close watch on the situation. To prevent rumours, local residents were urged to rely only on official radio, television news channels and government updates.

The Savannah River Site, near the city of Aiken, is not an ordinary research laboratory. It has been described as a main pillar of the US's national security and military strength. The complex was built in the 1950s during the Cold War. For over 75 years the facility has provided technical support to America's nuclear weapons programmes and strategic military operations.

In its early years, the historic facility ran five main nuclear reactors. Highly hazardous elements needed to make atomic and hydrogen bombs, notably tritium and plutonium-239, were produced at the centre. Two large chemical separation plants for purifying nuclear fuel were also built there.

Today the centre is used mainly for handling nuclear material, research on the safety of nuclear weapons, and the safe management of radioactive waste left over from old nuclear projects. Several environmental cleanup operations are run there to maintain ecological balance, dispose of hazardous waste and protect the surrounding environment from radiation.

No one was killed in the incident and no radiation spread. Even so, the US Department of Energy has ordered a high-level inquiry to establish how the fire started at this sensitive nuclear weapons facility.