Lanl - Los Alamos National Laboratory Update
Incident: Las Conchas Wildfire
Released: 6/27/2011
News Release
4:45 p.m. News Media Information: 505-820-1226
NR#11
Firefighters Control Spot Fire on Lab Property
LOS ALAMOS, New Mexico June 27, 2011 - Fire crews have contained a spot fire that started in a remote area of Los Alamos National Laboratory. Emergency officials say the Las Conchas fire, which had burned to the southern edge of New Mexico State Route 4 at the Lab's southwest boundary, crossed the road to the north early this afternoon.
Air crews dumped water at the site within the Lab's Technical Area 49 and brought the blaze under control. The area had been thinned of ground fuels in recent years. About one acre burned and the Lab has detected no off-site releases of contamination.
No other fires are currently burning on Lab property, no facilities face immediate threat, and all nuclear and hazardous materials are accounted for and protected. Environmental sites are being monitored and air quality experts are coordinating with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The Las Conchas fire has burned an estimated 49,000 acres in forests, canyons, and mesas south and west of the Lab.
The Lab will remain closed on Tuesday, June 28, and is supporting Los Alamos County as it conducts a staged, mandatory evacuation of the town site.
Los Alamos County residents should tune to 1610-AM for updated information
A Joint Information Center has been established at the Regional Development Corporation, 2209 Miguel Chavez Rd. in Santa Fe. Media should call 505-820-1226 for updates and monitor www.nmfireinfo.com for official fire updates.
About Los Alamos National Laboratory (www.lanl.gov)
Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, and URS for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.
Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.
