Ventura County Monitors Air Near Former Nuclear Site as Sandy Fire Burns

Firefighters in Ventura County have increased efforts near the Santa Susana Field Laboratory after the Sandy Fire advanced to within a quarter mile of the former nuclear and rocket testing site. The blaze began Monday and had grown to more than 2,100 acres with 40 percent containment by Friday afternoon.

Nuclear research at the 2,800-acre site ended in 1988 and rocket testing stopped in 2006. The property, now owned by Boeing, retains radioactive and chemical contamination from earlier federal and private operations.

The Ventura County Fire Department said hazardous materials and radiological monitoring teams are tracking air quality at seven locations northwest of downtown Los Angeles. The Department of Energy is assisting with additional sampling around the laboratory site.

Andrew Dowd, an engineer and spokesman for the Ventura County Fire Department, stated there is no indication that any radiological material has been released. He added that the fire has not reached the Santa Susana Field Laboratory. The Ventura County Air Pollution Control District reported it is not aware of any confirmed off-site air quality impacts attributable to the laboratory.

A Boeing spokesman said the company is coordinating with fire-control authorities.

The California Department of Toxic Substances Control continues to work with emergency responders. More than 33,000 people were placed under evacuation orders at one point during the fire, with some families leaving voluntarily. Amy Marshall, a 27-year-old former Simi Valley resident now living in Thousand Oaks, said she keeps windows closed and uses air filters during fires because of past concerns about the site.

Stephen Andrews, a 71-year-old resident of Thousand Oaks, noted that agencies are providing publicly accessible air monitoring data this time. Radiation measurements collected as recently as last year and modeling after the 2018 Woolsey Fire indicated that residual radioactive material at the site poses no risk to public health even if fire reaches the area, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.

The Woolsey Fire burned through 80 percent of the laboratory property, though most of the affected area was outside the nuclear testing zone.