It’s been nearly 70 years since the Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL) partially melted down, but the defunct nuclear reactor and rocket testing site is still contaminated with hazardous chemicals and radioactive materials. Now, a fast-growing wildfire threatens to release those substances into the air. Firefighters are working desperately to contain the Sandy Fire, which was burning about a quarter-mile from the site on Tuesday morning, according to Inside Climate News. As of Wednesday morning, the blaze stretched nearly 1,700 acres across Ventura County and was just 15% contained, CAL FIRE reported. By Wednesday evening, more than 43,700 Simi Valley residents were under evacuation orders, and nearly 400 more were under evacuation warnings, according to the Ventura County Fire Department. Boeing, which has owned the majority of SSFL since 1996, told Gizmodo that it has evacuated all personnel from the site who are not involved in coordinating with authorities responsible for fire control.
“We are actively monitoring the Sandy Fire near the Santa Susana site and are in close coordination with local authorities and emergency responders,” the company said in an emailed statement. “This is an ongoing situation, and as it evolves, we will continue to monitor fire conditions.”
