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 ...
The Cerro Grande Fire was a disastrous forest fire in New Mexico, United States of America that occurred in May 2000. The fire started as a controlled burn, and became uncontrolled owing to high winds and drought conditions. Over 400 families in the town of Los Alamos, New Mexico lost their homes in the resulting 48,000 acre (190 km²) fire. Structures at Los Alamos National Laboratory were also destroyed or damaged, although without loss or destruction of any of the special nuclear material housed there. Amazingly, there was no loss of human life. The US General Accounting Office estimated total damages at one billion US Dollars.
10 May 2000 The town of Los Alamos was evacuated at noon. That evening, 235 homes in Los Alamos were destroyed.
The difference in numbers (400 families vs. 235 homes) is that a lot of the homes destroyed were duplexes and four-plexes in use from the earliest days of the lab.
Prayers offered.
Please let us know when you know more.
Good luck with that, even there is a fairly good sized nest of tree huggers. Plus, much of the area is pretty rough.
When a fire hit the Pecos about 10 years ago, a co-worker had property there. He related that since there were archeological “sites of interest” there, archeologists from the University of New Mexico would walk in front of the bulldozers, to make sure they didn’t plow under any artifacts.
Insane, but true.
Prayers up, that’s a beautiful place. The freeze was bad, I hit “only” -20, and it killed about 20% of my fruit trees.
And that’s in the Manzano Mountains, named for apples.
illegales. That’s not controversial.
This site has a link to a time-lapse view of the fire from Santa Fe, along with maps.
Started at a local lake picnic ground, most likely some dumbass local.
‘Nooklear” generated?
Would anyone be surprised to learn that there are a lot of muslims who work there? I delivered a computer there once and had to go through 3 check points. I saw Middle Eastern types all over the place.
Save the Ski Lift above all else.
I'm sitting tight right now in White Rock, just on the other side of Bandelier. I'm packed and ready to bug out, if necessary.
“Large parts of the town burned in 1997 when a ‘controlled burn’ got out of control.”
My Uncle lost his home then. He’s not answering his phone right now.
Good luck to you
Fire threatening the ski hill is the trigger prompting the mandatory evac of the town site.
Thanks. At least the family is out of town, so all I have to manage are me and the dogs.
Tell Rummy to get out the water canon and go for it :-)
Seriously, hope you all are safe...
Yeah, I always thought there was something all too convenient about that earlier fire, in light of all the irregularities at LANL that had just been uncovered.
When the research facility is evacuated make sure all the classified harddrives stay there this time.
Clinton Admin, part deux.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.