New Mexico Wildfires Threaten Los Alamos Labs, America's Nuclear Research Hub
The Area Around Los Alamos National Lab, As of June 27 Los Alamos National Laboratory via FlickrFires force lab to close, but officials say hazardous materials are secured The wildfires burning in across the Southwest have threatened homes, economies, and communities, but today the Las Conchas fire in New Mexico is taking the threat to a new level. Having already ravaged about 60,000 acres, the wildfire is knocking on the door of Los Alamos National Labs, the birthplace of the atomic bomb and a key nuclear weapons research site. In other words, there's some nuclear material on premises, and the premises are somewhat besieged by the fire. The lab itself has been closed to all but critical personnel until Thursday as the fire skirts the boundaries of the facilities. At one point the flames actually crossed a state road and burned about an acre of the laboratory grounds. But state fire officials...