Nuclear weapons assembly plant shut down in Texas due to wildfires
Nuclear weapons assembly plant shut down in Texas due to wildfires (Getty Images)
A raging wildfire has engulfed Panhandle, Texas, prompting local authorities to conduct a mass evacuation of civilians and suspend operations at the Pantex nuclear weapons assembly plant, Yahoo reports.
Thousands of residents have been evacuated from the state. As of now, there is no information regarding casualties from the disaster. Additionally, the decision to halt operations at the nuclear weapons assembly facility was made due to the threat posed by the spreading fire.
"We have evacuated our personnel, non-essential personnel from the site, just in an abundance of caution," said Laef Pendergraft, a spokesperson for National Nuclear Security Administration’s Production Office at Pantex.
Local emergency services have also reported the destruction of buildings in the area.
The situation is reported to be exacerbated by strong winds, which are causing the fire to spread rapidly through dry grasslands. However, firefighters and emergency services are anticipating more favorable weather conditions forecasted for Thursday.
Recent wildfires worldwide
In early February, at least 46 people lost their lives due to raging wildfires in the central part of Chile.
