On Sunday the Los Conchas Wildfire whisked into the desert surrounding Los Alamos National Laboratory, prompting closures and evacuations.
The fire, at the time of reporting (8 a.m. PT) has already consumed 6,000 acres and has come within one mile of the southern border of the lab. Accordingly, evacuations of the surrounding and shutdown of Los Alamos have been ordered.
Tucked away at Los Alamos are a pair of the worlds more powerful systems, including the Cielo ad Roadrunner supercomputers.
As reported today, “operations at Los Alamos National Lab are spread across 43 square miles and more than 1,800 buildings. LANL emergency crews have been dispatched to areas across the Lab to protect key facilities and protected areas include all hazardous and radioactive materials facilities as well as LANL’s proton accelerator and supercomputing centers.”
Here’s the full statement on the lab’s site:
“Los Alamos National Laboratory emergency officials are closely watching wind directions this morning as the Las Conchas fire continues to burn southwest of the Lab. Winds generally from the northwest overnight have helped keep the fire from entering Lab property, but forecasts call for a change by mid-day. LANL’s Emergency Operations Center remains operational. Observation aircraft are currently conducting aerial surveys to gauge the fire’s growth and current size.
Overnight, as a precaution, the Lab cut natural gas to technical areas in LANL’s remote southwest area. All hazardous and radioactive materials remain accounted for and are appropriately protected, as are key Lab facilities such as its proton accelerator and supercomputing centers. Environmental specialists are mobilized and monitoring air quality, but say the principal concern is smoke. The Lab last night announced it would be closed Monday.”