CBS by S.E. Jenkins 2/28/2024
NORTH TEXAS - Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration Tuesday due to widespread wildfires in the Panhandle amid hot and dry conditions. Dry vegetation and high winds were fueling the rapid growth of blazes. Abbott's declaration includes 60 counties.
Pantex, the main facility that assembles and disassembles America's nuclear arsenal, shut down its operations Tuesday night because of nearby wildfires. But the plant's operators said overnight on X, the former Twitter, that it is "open for normal day shift operations for Wednesday, February 28; all personnel are to report for duty according to their assigned schedule."
The plant is located some 30 miles east of Amarillo.
When it paused its operations, the company wrote in a social media post that, "All weapons and special materials are safe and unaffected." Pantex later clarified that "there is currently no fire on the plant site and emergency personnel continue to monitor the situation." Pantex said all employees had been accounted for and "non-essential personnel are no longer on site."
Several large wildfires ignited Monday under warm, dry, and windy conditions across the Panhandle. Canadian, a town in the Panhandle, was first told to evacuate and then to shelter in place. The Canadian Independent School District canceled classes for Wednesday.
The largest fire is the Smokehouse Creek fire in Hutchinson County, northeast of Amarillo. It is an estimated 250,000 acres and is 0% contained.
More:
https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/gov-abbott-issues-disaster-declaration-as-wildfires-activity-spreads/
