Los Alamos Fire Few Feet Away From Lab; Nuke Material 'Safe'
The Las Conchas Fire that started on June 26 in the Santa Fe National Forest, N.M., has burnt approximately 80,000 acres so far and has extended to its vicinity near the town of Los Alamos.
The fire caused Los Alamos local authorities to issue mandatory evacuations on its 12,000 local residents in addition to issuing extra measures to safeguard the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the nation’s main nuke-weapons lab, from the approaching fires.
As a result, the Los Alamos National Lab was closed on Monday, putting approximately 10,000 experiments on hold, and the facility confirmed that it would remain closed for at least 48 hours more in order to take extra precautions.
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Fears on the threat the fires posed against the toxic material and more than 20,000 barrels of plutonium waste stored in the lab were dismissed on Wednesday when a fire chief said that the nuclear material was secure and that he was confident that the fire wouldn't extend into the lab or the small town of Los Alamos, the DailyMail reported.
The lab provided an update on Thursday, saying: "Though no fires are burning on Los Alamos National Laboratory property, numerous personnel are actively engaged in fire mitigation projects throughout the Laboratory’s 36 square miles. Crews are in the process of thinning fuels and improving existing fire roads at five locations on Laboratory property.
"All of the Laboratory’s nuclear and hazardous materials, including its waste and environmental remediation sites, are safe, accounted for, and protected."
On Monday, a fire did start in one of the lab's territory burning about one acre but was quickly extinguished by the fire force. Nonetheless, concerns over the possible spreading of contaminated air caused by the burning of material on lab grounds prompted the local government to deploy a plane and obtain air samples over the area.
After the air samples were tested, the laboratory director made a statement sharing that air samples revealed no signs of abnormal radiation. "What we see in this fire is exactly what we see in any fire across New Mexico. That's very encouraging news on the air sampling front," said Charles McMillan according to The Associated Press.
The fire had reached the lab’s “doorstep,” dangerously burning tens of feet away but the fact that all nuclear material is stored in safe containers and no vegetation is present near the facility has kept the personnel handling this blaze confident the fire won't spread into the lab.
This nuclear laboratory is also known for having produced the U.S.' first atomic bomb in World War II.
