The burns, weather permitting, are scheduled on November 19, 20, and 21 and will encompass a total of 88 acres of dead and down wildland wood, shrubs, and grasses. Both locations are within the Lab's Dynamic and Energetic Materials Division's technical areas.
According to Emergency Management, the prescribed burns are a step by the Laboratory to prevent wildfires. "The burn is a maintenance effort to reduce the risk of an escape fire and also to create a fuel break to protect our neighbors in White Rock," said Manny L'Esperance of Emergency Management, fire management officer.
During the prescribed burns smoke may be visible in southwestern areas of the Laboratory near White Rock and Bandelier National Monument.
Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, and the Washington Division of URS for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.
Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.