Wildfire Closes Los Alamos National Laboratory For Another Day
 

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By the CNN Wire Staff
June 28, 2011 3:17 a.m. EDT

A raging wildfire near the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico will keep the facility closed for a second day on Tuesday as firefighters battle brisk winds and warm temperatures, authorities said."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," a statement from the lab said.
An estimated 8,000 people evacuated Monday, according to Kelly Stewart, a spokeswoman for Los Alamos County. About 3,000 people left their homes after officials issued a voluntary order Sunday night, she said.
The Las Conchas fire, which flared up during the weekend, was reportedly about a mile from the lab's southwestern boundary Monday night, according to a statement on InciWeb, an online interagency database that tracks fires, floods and other disasters.
The fire, which has spread across nearly 44,000 acres, is burning to the north and northeast, according to InciWeb. It was 0% contained as of Monday night.
Additionally, a one-acre spot fire was reported on the lab's property, at its southern boundary.
"Air crews dumped water at the site within the Lab's Technical Area 49 and brought the blaze under control," a statement from the lab said.
Los Alamos, a center of American nuclear science, is one of the nation's top national-security research facilities.
The fire near the lab has raised concerns about whether hazardous materials kept there are being adequately guarded. Authorities say they are.
"They have anticipated the problem of fire, and they've taken precautions," Sen. Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico said Monday. "The structures that are central to the operation of the laboratory are well protected."
The lab is about 35 miles northwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico, on 36 square miles of property owned by the Department of Energy. More than 11,000 employees work at the facility.