US nuclear weapons facility reopens after wildfire threat
February 28, 2024
The Pantex Plant reopened after being shut down for a day given the threat of fires sweeping the northern Texas region. The fires prompted the Texas governor to issue a disaster declaration in the area.
Pantex is the main facility that assembles and disassembles America's nuclear arsenalImage: Planet Labs PBC/AP Photo/picture alliance
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A nuclear weapons facility in the Texas Panhandle said it reopened for operations on Wednesday after it shut down for a day as a series of blazes burned in the region.
The Texas Panhandle is a region of the US state of Texas consisting of the northernmost 26 counties in the state. Texas has a total of 254 counties, more than any other US state.
Pantex reopens for 'normal' operations
The Pantex Plant said the plant “is open for normal day shift operations” and that all personnel were to report for duty according to their assigned schedule. The plant earlier said Tuesday it was monitoring the threat and that there was no fire at the site.
"Since 1975, Pantex has been the nation’s primary assembly, disassembly, retrofit, and life-extension center for nuclear weapons," the websitefor the plant says. It assembled the last new atomic bomb in 1991 and has also disassembled thousands.
Pantex is about 17 miles (27.36 kilometers) northeast of the northern Texas city of Amarillo and some 320 miles (515 kilometers) northwest of Dallas.
So far, more than 381,000 acres have been burned by the fires, according to the Forest Service. But 25 out of 31 fires in the state had been brought under control.
On Tuesday, Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties as the largest blaze, the Smokehouse Creek Fire, burned nearly 400 square miles (1,040 square kilometers), according to the forest service. That is more than twice its size since the fire sparked Monday.
As of Wednesday, the Smokehouse Creek Fire was burning in Hutchinson County, which includes the city of Canadian, a city about 100 miles northeast of Amarillo.
An unknown number of homes and other structures in Hutchinson County have been damaged, officials said, and the air quality in the region has severely dipped.
Wildfires in the US: Texas declares state of emergency
Strong winds and high temperatures have led to severe forest fires raging across the United States. Texas has declared a state of emergency and ordered evacuations. And the situation could get worse.
Image: Nick Oxford/REUTERS
Fighting the flames
Several wildfires are keeping firefighters in the US states of Texas and Oklahoma on their toes and are threatening the local population: Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster for 60 communities on Tuesday so that aid can be centrally coordinated.
Image: Flower Mound Fire Department/AP Photo/picture alliance
Fires could grow larger and more dangerous
The flames are spreading quickly and are fanned by strong winds. Unusually high temperatures and dry conditions are further fueling the fires. Abbott does not expect the weather in the region to improve in the coming days. "These conditions could increase the potential for these wildfires to grow larger and more dangerous," the governor said.
Image: Patrick Ryan/REUTERS
Scorched earth
According to Texas authorities, the fire has already burned around 1,500 square kilometers (580,154 square miles) of land — an area about twice the size of Hamburg. Around 4,000 households in the region are without power. There were initially no reports of deaths or injuries. Abbott called on the population to restrict any activities that could generate sparks.
Image: Jeff Bartlett/REUTERS
Nuclear facility evacuated
The fires are also threatening a nuclear facility. US nuclear weapons are being dismantled at the Pantex facility, which is located around 50 kilometers (31 miles) east of the Texan city of Amarillo. Due to the approaching flames, the plant was initially shut down and all employees were evacuated.The facility was able to open again on Wednesday.
Image: Planet Labs PBC/AP Photo/picture alliance
Threatened by fire
The flames are also raging in the neighboring state of Oklahoma: Local authorities have called on those affected in the communities of Ellis and Roger Mills to leave their homes. The grasslands are also burning elsewhere in the Great Plains, including Nebraska and Kansas. Many have lost their homes.
Image: Nick Oxford/REUTERS
A coat of ashes
The small Texan city of Canadian on the border with Oklahoma is particularly threatened by the flames. "It looks like the end of the world. All the trees are covered in white ash," a store owner from the town told news network CNN.
Image: Greenville Fire-Rescue/REUTERS
No escape
Patients from a local hospital were brought to safety. An evacuation order was also issued on Tuesday for the 2,000 residents of Canadian, but roads were closed due to the fires and the authorities advised people to stay in the city via Facebook.
Image: Greenville Fire-Rescue/REUTERS
High temperatures fuel fires
Wildfires are spreading near Shattuck in Oklahoma. US media reported unusually high temperatures in the region. According to the Washington Post, temperatures there last week reached well over 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit). At this time of year, temperatures are usually only around 15 degrees Celsius.
