Wildfire in Los Alamos

Dawn.com Published June 29, 2011
This image provided by NASA shows an image taken by a crew member aboard the International Space Station, flying at an altitude of approximately 235 statute miles on Monday June 27, exposed this still photograph the major fire in the Jemez Mountains of the Santa Fe National Forest in north-central New Mexico. - AP Photo
This image provided by NASA shows an image taken by a crew member aboard the International Space Station, flying at an altitude of approximately 235 statute miles on Monday June 27, exposed this still photograph the major fire in the Jemez Mountains of the Santa Fe National Forest in north-central New Mexico. - AP Photo
The sun pokes through smoke from the wild fire. Thousands of residents calmly fled the town that's home to the Los Alamos nuclear laboratory as a rapidly-growing wildfire approached, sending up towering plumes of smoke, raining down ash and charring the fringes of the sprawling lab's property. - AP Photo
The sun pokes through smoke from the wild fire. Thousands of residents calmly fled the town that's home to the Los Alamos nuclear laboratory as a rapidly-growing wildfire approached, sending up towering plumes of smoke, raining down ash and charring the fringes of the sprawling lab's property. - AP Photo
Firefighter Chris Teters, of Portland, Oregon, mops up hot spots in Pajarito Mountain ski area near Los Alamos, June 28. Firefighters battled the vicious wildfire through the mountains above the northern New Mexico town. - AP Photo
Firefighter Chris Teters, of Portland, Oregon, mops up hot spots in Pajarito Mountain ski area near Los Alamos, June 28. Firefighters battled the vicious wildfire through the mountains above the northern New Mexico town. - AP Photo
Hotshot crew members walk in line as they prepare to mop up in Pajarito Mountain ski area. - AP Photo
Hotshot crew members walk in line as they prepare to mop up in Pajarito Mountain ski area. - AP Photo
The Morrison family, Dee, top left, Taylor, 4, right, Bob, and Jeni, center, packed up their belongings following a mandatory evacuation ordered for Los Alamos as the rapidly-growing Las Conchas wildfire approached. - AP Photo
The Morrison family, Dee, top left, Taylor, 4, right, Bob, and Jeni, center, packed up their belongings following a mandatory evacuation ordered for Los Alamos as the rapidly-growing Las Conchas wildfire approached. - AP Photo
The wildfire sent up towering plumes of smoke, rained down ash and sparked a spot fire on lab property where scientists 50 years ago conducted underground tests of radioactive explosives. - AP Photo
The wildfire sent up towering plumes of smoke, rained down ash and sparked a spot fire on lab property where scientists 50 years ago conducted underground tests of radioactive explosives. - AP Photo
Flames from the Las Conchas fire burn in the hills above Los Alamos National Laboratory, a nuclear facility. ? Reuters Photo
Flames from the Las Conchas fire burn in the hills above Los Alamos National Laboratory, a nuclear facility. ? Reuters Photo

Thousands of residents calmly fled from the town that's home to the Los Alamos nuclear laboratory, in Los Alamos, New Mexico, in the southwest of USA. The approaching wildfire sparked a spot fire on lab property where underground tests of radioactive explosives had been conducted a half century ago.

Los Alamos National Laboratory officials said Monday that the spot fire was soon contained and no contamination was released. They also assured that radioactive materials stored in various spots elsewhere on the sprawling lab were safe from flames.

The wildfire, which began Sunday, had destroyed 30 structures south and west of Los Alamos by early Monday and forced the closure of the lab while stirring memories of a devastating blaze in May 2000 that destroyed hundreds of homes and buildings.

''The hair on the back of your neck goes up,'' Los Alamos County fire chief Doug Tucker said of first seeing the fire in the Santa Fe National Forest on Sunday. ''I saw that plume and I thought, 'Oh my god here we go again.''' - Text by AP

 

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