Kinda scary if you think about it.
The government tried a controlled burn and got out of control. Now there are people without homes because of an idiotic government employee.
I feel for those down there and a friend of mine has family that doesn’t live that far from Los Alamos.
WTF was the guy thinking?
My prayers are with those that have lost all they owned and for those that still stand to loose their homes.
Amen to that, techie. 
Indeed. Don’t forget to cheer on, support, and generally all-round be kind to firefighters. These guys and gals are literally willing to put their lives on the line to save ours.
And what’s worse is the guy who is responsible for the controlled burn is on paid leave. That’s right – paid.
Termination would seem more in order.
I have a friend who lives in Los Alamos, the last we heard her home was still standing though it was under about 8 inches of ash.
This is truely sad, and to think this person is being paid while so many people are losieing thier homes, that is an outrage !
I heard this morning that they’re worried about any nuclear material at the research base. Would fire really be a problem, or is it just(!) containment issues?
I read all this in the newspaper so its not just hearsay. The bunkers that the neuclear materials are stored in are built to withstand a direct hit by a 747 jumbo jet. Also most of the chemical wastes are stored in fire-proof bunkers that can withstand a fire burning directly on top of them for around 8 hours.
So far the only structure that has been lost on the Los Alamos Lab grounds were some construction trailers. Trying to catch one of the bunkers on fire was compared to trying to light a stainless steel ball bearing on fire.
Also, I feel that calling the government employee an idiot is unfair. So far I haven’t read or heard anything that directly blames that employee. He was doing his job. Yes the weather report said the Haines Index was at its max, but the rising of smoke and flame also helps to keep the smoke out of settlements. They tried a burn in the same area in 1992 when the air was more humid and calmer and they got nothing accomplished.
Give the guy a break, he was doing his job and unexpected winds picked up ashes and started the whole mess.
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Give the guy a break, he was doing his job and unexpected winds picked up ashes and started the whole mess.
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I don’t about the level of his culpability, but the agency has already stated that it is 100% their fault. That the burn went against established rules. It’s quite possible that the employee was just following orders. However, since he is dealing with controlled burns it stands to reason that he would have some knowledge of proper burn conditions.
As for him being on paid leave, it seems unfair, but it follows the innocent until proven guilty standard. There is nothing yet that clearly shows that he was at fault. The balme may turn out to lie with supervisors. Or it’s quite possible that whatever suspension wage he currently receiving will go towards fines if he is found criminal negilent. So he may not keep the money anyway.
I heard on the news taht this is not the first time this has happened in New Mexico. The last time the homeowners were compensated and it’s likely the same will happen again. I know that does nothing to replace mementos, pictures, and family heirlooms (hopefully no family pets were killed). It’s a tragedy in the material sense, but thankfully no human lives have been lost.
What established rules did it go against? I wasn’t aware that it had gone against any…
The paid leave of absence is a total joke. What an idiot. I hope a big class action lawsuit goes down over this. This reconfirms that there are stupid people everywhere (even in Los Alamos).