(Image source: The InQuisitr)
BY MYCHAELA BRUNER
ANCHOR JIM FLINK
You're watching multisource U.S. news analysis from Newsy.
More than a thousand firefighters are still struggling to control a vicious wildfire threatening the United States’ premier nuclear-weapons laboratory.
“A raging wildfire burning in the backyard of the Los Alamos Nuclear Research Compound dangerously close to stock piles of atomic waste that are stored in above ground tents. Now if the wildfire flames hit that waste… We could be talking catastrophe.”
With the hot, dry weather and wind speeds picking up –this raging fire is relentless. Here’s CBS.
“The fire went from nothing to 40,000 acres overnight it’s now over 60,000 acres—it’s extremely dry.”
“Fueled by dry woodland and burning out of control—this northern New Mexico fire has charred almost 61,000 acres –an area just under the size of Milwaukee and destroyed 30 structures.”
“Also of concern… there are 30,055 gallon drums of plutonium contaminated waste and you can imagine that is what they are trying to protect.”
Fire teams are on high alert and have spent the last days clearing the entire perimeter of the radioactive lab. San Francisco Chronicle reports- one nuclear awareness group is...
“...worried the fire could stir up nuclear-contaminated soil on lab property...Lab officials said there was little risk of the fire reaching the drums because the flames would have to jump through canyons first. Officials also stood ready to coat the drums with fire-resistant foam.”
Washington D.C.’s WJLA reports- as of midday Wednesday- the fire was two miles from the waste materials.
“Our facilities and nuclear materials are protected and safe. We just can’t relax yet –it’s better but it’s just not quite there. Concern over what is in that smoke prompted the environmental protection agency to bring in air monitors—so far nothing harmful has been detected.”
The California Air National Guard sent air tankers to help – and this wildfire is now so large you can see it from space.
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