Evacuations took place early on Wednesday from a nuclear weapons facility in Carson County, Texas, due to an outbreak of wildfire in the area.
The incident occurred in Pantex, situated around 17 miles northeast of Amarillo, which has been the main site in the U.S. for dismantling atomic bombs since 1975.
The Context
Texan authorities are battling a number of wildfires in the Panhandle area of the state with warm and dry conditions being blamed for the powerful infernos. A map produced by the Texas A&M Forest Service late on Monday showed there were four active wildfires with the largest, the Smokehouse Creek fire, having burned across more than 40,000 acres.
What We Know
The Pantex site evacuated all non-essential personnel from the site overnight with employees constructing a fire barrier to protect the facility from the encroaching wildfire.
On X, formerly Twitter, Pantex confirmed there was no fire at the facility itself and "all weapons and special materials are safe and unaffected."
Laef Pendergraft, a spokesperson for the National Nuclear Security Administration's Production Office at Pantex, told a press conference: "We have evacuated our personnel, non-essential personnel from the site, just in an abundance of caution.
"But we do have a well-equipped fire department that has trained for these scenarios, that is on-site and watching and ready should any kind of real emergency arise on the plant site."
In a tweet a few hours later, Pantex said all employees had been accounted for and workers would be expected to report for their shifts as per usual on Wednesday.
Newsweek has contacted Pantex via email outside of regular office hours.
Multiple wildfires tore through the Texas Panhandle overnight, resulting in evacuations and thousands being left without power. Homes and other buildings are reported to have been destroyed in Hutchinson County though the exact number is unknown.
Temperatures surged across large parts of the U.S. on Monday ahead of an advancing winter storm.
This resulted in the federal National Weather Service issuing a number of red flag warnings for wildfires, which are usually rare in winter.
Views
On Tuesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties in the state and ordered the Texas Division of Emergency Management to provide additional resources to support local firefighters.
In a statement he said: "I issued a disaster declaration today to ensure critical fire response resources are swiftly deployed to areas in the Texas Panhandle being impacted by devastating wildfires.
"The State of Texas stands ready to provide support to our local partners and deploy all resources needed to protect our fellow Texans and their property. Hot and dry conditions caused by high temperatures and windy conditions are expected to continue in the region in the coming days."
"These conditions could increase the potential for these wildfires to grow larger and more dangerous. Texans are urged to limit activities that could create sparks and take precautions to keep their loved ones safe."
What's Next
According to the National Weather Service, the weather is expected to remain warm for the Panhandle region of Texas on Wednesday with a high of near 52, and wind speeds of 10 to 15 miles per hour. Overnight temperatures could fall to a low of 30 though gusts of up to 20 miles per hour could still occur.
On Thursday there is a 40 percent chance of precipitation, with the possibility of rain and snow showers before noon which could offer firefighters some relief, though the afternoon is expected to be largely sunny.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
James Bickerton is a Newsweek U.S. News reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is covering U.S. politics and world ... Read more
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