The facts
SRS’s 19:30 local-time release said incoming traffic was blocked and rail, river and air traffic near the site restricted. Some workers sheltered as a precaution. [1]
The emergency ended at 21:45 EDT on 28 October, or 01:45 UTC on 29 October. Traffic restrictions were lifted and normal shift reporting resumed, South Carolina Public Radio reported. [2][3]
One employee was taken to hospital with minor injuries, officials told WRDW/WAGT. [3]
Officials said radiological surveys detected no contamination. That is an attributed official assessment, not an independent measurement by the newsrooms. [2][3]
Still unconfirmed
- The cause of the fire and full details of any radiological release were not established in the checked records.
Sources
References support the numbered facts above. Source checks: 29 Oct 2026, 06:13 UTC.
- Savannah River Site Emergency Response Event – News Release #2
US Department of Energy / Savannah River Site · Primary source · 28 Oct 2026
Contemporaneous 19:30 update; subsequent closure information is from sources 2 and 3.
- Savannah River Site reopens to incoming traffic after fire sparks emergency response
South Carolina Public Radio · Reporting · 28 Oct 2026
- SRS ends site area emergency after lab fire
WRDW/WAGT via WIS-TV · Reporting · 28 Oct 2026
Original local reporting by Gray Television’s WRDW/WAGT, hosted by WIS.