[CPEO-MEF] RADIATION, CONTRACTORS: Sandy Fire threatens Santa Susana Field Laboratory, CA

[Lenny Siegel <Lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

Rapidly Growing California Wildfire Threatens Contaminated Nuclear Reactor Site
As the Sandy fire burns through Ventura County, firefighters are desperate to keep the blaze away from the defunct Santa Susana Field Laboratory.

BY ELLYN LAPOINTE 
Gizmodo
MAY 20, 2026

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.


…

For the entire article, see
https://gizmodo.com/rapidly-growing-california-wildfire-nears-contaminated-nuclear-reactor-site-2000761295

—

Lenny Siegel
Executive Director
Center for Public Environmental Oversight
A project of the Pacific Studies Center
LSiegel@cpeo.org
P.O. Box 998, Mountain View, CA 94042
Voice/Fax: 650-961-8918
http://www.cpeo.org
Author: DISTURBING THE WAR: The Inside Story of the Movement to Get Stanford University out of Southeast Asia - 1965–1975 (See http://a3mreunion.org)




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