Wildfire forces evacuation at Hanford

RICHLAND – High winds pushed a wildfire onto the Hanford Nuclear Reservation on Thursday, forcing all but essential employees home from the site and leaving firefighters scrambling to stop the blaze from spreading farther.

The fire had burned more than 15 square miles, or 10,000 acres, or dry grass and sagebrush on Hanford Reach National Monument land and in the central part of the reservation, but the portions of the fire on the nuclear site were fully contained by 10 p.m. Thursday.

The fire burned up to a fenceline, then into two “arms” or prongs around the 200 West area, where underground tanks hold millions of gallons of radioactive waste left from Cold War-era nuclear weapons production. All facilities in that area are surrounded by large gravel barriers and fire breaks, which were installed after the last large fire at the Hanford site in 2000, said David Brockman, Richland Operations Office manager for the U.S. Department of Energy.

The fire continued to burn on the monument and in other areas, the Energy Department said.

“None of our facilities are in imminent danger. We’re monitoring it closely. We don’t expect any offsite consequences from the activities on the site right now,” Brockman said.

Johanna Berkey, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Health, said there was no immediate public health risk.

Radiological monitoring showed that no radiation was released.

About 50 firefighters initially attacked the blaze, with additional crews arriving from five surrounding counties and state agencies. At least three air tankers dropped retardant on the fire.

The fire started shortly after noon Thursday along state Highway 241 north of Sunnyside, about 40 miles southeast of Yakima, and burned onto the Hanford Reach Monument land. High winds then pushed the fire across state Highway 240 onto the nuclear site, said Greg Hughes, project leader for the monument.

Hughes said the cause of the fire was under investigation.