Posted on 06/27/2011 3:32:25 PM PDT by CedarDave
Authorities have ordered an evacuation of Los Alamos due the threat from Las Conchas wildfire.
Below is a press release from Los Alamos County that was issued moments ago:
Los Alamos County officials are reporting the fire is now threatening Los Alamos. They are ordering a mandatory evacuation which will begin and proceed in this order: Group 1: Western, Quemazon, Ponderosa; Group 2: North Community, Barranca Mesa, North Mesa; Group 3: East of Diamond and the remainder of the town site. White Rock is NOT being evacuated at this time. Residents in Los Alamos should NOT go to White Rock to stay in case it is later evacuated.
Residents are urged to prepare now to be ready to go when their Group is called using Reverse 911. The best sources of information about Group releases for the evacuation will continue to be through news outlets. The County is first evacuating those residents who are the closest to the immediate threat of fire. Residents should wait for the automated Reverse 911 phone call. Once called, proceed in an orderly fashion to police control points and follow any additional instructions to safely leave the County. National Guard and State Police will be assisting with the evacuation process.
Earlier this morning, the fast-moving wildfire forced officials at the nuclear laboratory in Los Alamos to close the site. At least 30 structures have burned.
Winds from the northwest overnight kept the blaze — which swelled to 68 square miles and was just a mile southwest of the lab — from moving onto lab property. But forecasts called for a change in winds by midday. Officials said all hazardous and radioactive materials were being protected.
(Excerpt) Read more at abqjournal.com ...
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Bttt....
Large parts of the town burned in 1997 when a ‘controlled burn’ got out of control.
Where do you evacuate to when in in the middle on nowhere?
You enviro nazis...keep of the good work!! Scorched earth and dead animnals...You need a little wisdom...and some damn common sense.
As I said earlier, “There goes another hard drive to China.”
Governor Martinez is urging New Mexicans not to use fireworks. Also evacuees from Los Alamos are urged to leave the area entirely. News updates can be found on the 770 KKOB website live stream.
You are correct it was 2000 not 1997.
You would think that they could totally clear the area surrounding the facility of any grasses or combustible plant life and keep it clear.
Almost 50K acres in one day.... Good Lord.
Away from the damn fire, that’s where.
Yeah, I live in the NM Mountains farther south, and it’s beyond dry. Lumber at Lowe’s has twice the moisture content than the LIVE trees here.
Are you sure about the number of houses destroyed?
I visited Los Alamos to see friends a few years ago. They pointed out the area where houses burnt down. Seemed like no more than 20-30. Perhaps the 200 was number of houses damaged.
Los Alamos National Labs comprises 36 square miles. That’s a lot of landscaping.
You may be thinking of the Dome fire in 1996 that was south of the community. It was the Cerro Grande fire in 2000 that started with a controlled burn and went through the town. Pictures of that conflagration are still in my mind. CNN and the other networks set up satellite trucks at the entrance to the community and broadcast for several days from there.
Dave is correct.
Reporting from Taos:We can not see the Sangre de Cristos for the smoke.
The air smells like an old campfire.
Prayers up please for the Mulane family at Dixon’s orchard. It is at La Canada at the bottom of the map. News said the family house might have burned. They already lost this years apple crop because of the late freeze. They are nice people.
Doesn’t have to be ‘landscaped’, just need some kind of heavy grading equipment to drive around and clear the area periodically
Oh goody. And when they re-open the nuclear weapons lab, there’ll just happen to be three or four hard drives full of top-secret design parameters and test data that mysteriously go missing for six months. After which, they will suddenly be found, in a place that was checked sixteen times before. And everyone will shrug their shoulders and say “it could happen.”
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