A nuclear weapons factory located in Texas had to interrupt its activities Tuesday evening due to the proximity of forest fires, while neighboring towns were evacuated.
“Operations at the Pantex factory have been suspended until further notice. All weapons and special materials are safe and unaffected,” said a message posted on X (formerly Twitter) by the Pantex nuclear power plant.
Satellite images from the National Weather Service in Amarillo showed the fires spreading near the northern city of Amarillo amid high winds and unseasonably high temperatures.
The Texas A&M Forest Service reported 31 fires in the state, the largest of which burned more than 700 square miles and remained uncontained as of late Tuesday evening.
The factory, located 34 kilometers from Amarillo, had indicated in a previous message that there was no fire at the factory site. “All employees have been located and non-essential personnel are no longer on site,” the company added.
The Pantex, Texas, plant assembles the U.S. nuclear arsenal, tests special nuclear materials and manufactures high explosives.
The city’s meteorological service advised residents to stay at home.
“Air quality remains poor in the Amarillo area… as smoke continues to spread southward,” the weather service said in a message published on X.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott made a disaster declaration for 60 counties earlier Tuesday, releasing resources to fight the fires.
“Texans are urged to limit activities that could cause fires and take precautions to protect their loved ones,” Mr. Abbott said in a statement.
Several cities, some as far as 100 miles from Amarillo, have issued evacuation orders, closed roads and ordered citizens to shelter at home or in public buildings.
