A sudden fire at a U.S. nuclear research facility on Wednesday evening triggered serious alarm and prompted authorities to declare an emergency in the area. The blaze broke out in a room at the Savannah River National Laboratory, which is operated under the U.S. Department of Energy, in the state of South Carolina.
Fears of a possible radiation leak spread soon after the fire began. Officials, however, said that no radioactive material was released from the site of the incident to the outside of the building.
Fire Brought Under Control in About Two Hours
Firefighters and rescue teams responded quickly after receiving the alert and worked for roughly two hours before bringing the fire fully under control, officials said. The exact cause of the fire has not yet been disclosed.
Authorities said the radioactive impact was confined to the single room within the laboratory premises, and that members of the public in the surrounding areas were not at risk.
Precautionary Closures
Although the incident was not a major one, officials acted with extreme caution given the sensitive nature of the facility. As a precaution, all entry points to the laboratory were temporarily closed, and vehicle movement was halted on roads near the site.
Officials stated that the situation is now fully under control and that monitoring of the laboratory’s surroundings is continuing.