#SouthernCalifornia #wildfires force evacuations, and one is threatening a #nuclear facility
Evacuations remain in place for fires burning in #Ventura and #Riverside counties. The Sandy Fire in #SimiValley is burning near the #SantaSusanaFieldLaboratory, a former #NuclearReactor site, raising #AirQuality concerns.
By Emilee Speck, AccuWeather staff writer
Published May 21, 2026 1:08 PM EDT | Updated May 22, 2026 12:04 PM EDT
Excerpt: "Due to the Sandy Fire’s proximity to the Santa Susana Field Laboratory, a former nuclear reactor and rocket testing facility, officials are conducting air quality monitoring around the fire perimeter.
" 'Monitoring equipment has been proactively deployed to establish background air quality readings and to help assess conditions should the fire advance further into the area,' according to CAL Fire. 'At this time, the fire has not crossed into the Field Laboratory property.'
"Nuclear cleanup continues more than 50 years after a nuclear reactor mishap at the #Rocketdyne site. Fire crews are prioritizing the protection of the facility and the surrounding communities. "
