Texas wildfires forces shutdown at nuclear weapon facility. Here is what we know

By MICHAEL CASEY
Associated Press

A nuclear weapons facility was forced to evacuate most of its staff due to a wildfire blazing rapidly across the Texas Panhandle. The Pantex plant, northeast of Amarillo, removed nonessential staff Tuesday night as the fire grew. On Wednesday afternoon, the Texas A&M Fire Service said the fire rivals the size of the largest in state history. Pantex is one of six production facilities in the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Nuclear Security Enterprise. It has been the main U.S. site for assembling and disassembling atomic bombs since 1975. Early Wednesday, Pantex posted on X that the facility had reopened for “normal day shift operations” and that all personnel should report for duty.