US forest fire swells, closes nuke lab in Los Alamos as nearby residents evacuat

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US forest fire swells, closes nuke lab in Los Alamos as nearby residents

evacuate

By The Associated Press | The Canadian Press – 22 minutes ago

LOS ALAMOS, N.M. - A fast-moving wildfire forced officials at the nuclear

laboratory in Los Alamos to close the site Monday as more than 100 residents

evacuated their homes.

Winds from the northwest overnight kept the blaze — which swelled to 68 square

miles (176 square kilometres) and was just a mile (less than two kilometres)

southwest of the lab — from moving onto lab property. But forecasts called for a

change in winds by midday.

The lab, which was founded during World War II to develop the world's first

nuclear weapons, activated its emergency operations centre overnight and cut

natural gas to some areas as a precaution. Officials said all hazardous and

radioactive materials were being protected.

The lab was closed Monday, and Los Alamos and White Rock were under voluntary

evacuation orders. About 100 residents from the rural towns of Cochiti Mesa and

Las Conchas were evacuated after the fire started Sunday afternoon. In nearby

Santa Fe, emergency officials are preparing to provide emergency evacuation and

are setting up a shelter.

The blaze started on private land about 12 miles southwest of the town of Los

Alamos. Flames and smoke could be seen from the outskirts of Albuquerque, which

is about 80 miles (130 kilometres) away.

The fire is nearly as big and similar to the Cerro Grande fire that burned more

some 47,000 acres (19,000 hectares) — 73 square miles (189 square kilometres) —

in May 2000 and caused more than $1 billion in property damage, destroying

hundreds of homes and 100 buildings on lab property.

Meanwhile, the biggest blaze in Arizona history is 82 per cent contained after

burning through 538,000 acres in the White Mountains in northeast Arizona. The

fire started May 29 and has destroyed 32 homes. It's believed to have been

caused by a campfire.