New Mexico
![May 5th, 2000. A section of the neighborhood burned from the fires. May 5th, 2000. A section of the neighborhood burned from the fires.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20161105030405im_/https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/styles/today-state-wide-alt/public/images/state/today-psa/new-mexico-tomorrow-5596.jpg?itok=XipW9duL)
May 5, 2000
A controlled burn to prevent future forest fires blazed out of control and scorched 48,000 acres. Two towns were ordered to evacuate. Over 230 homes burned in Los Alamos, a town famed for holding nuclear material and facilities. While much of the town was lost, no nuclear material was released or damaged. The sudden loss of water-containing forest ensured the burned area will be prone to flash floods for a generation.