"As the Sandy Fire approached the Santa Susana Field Laboratory in May, state and local officials had to move quickly to assess how safe the air was amid radiation concerns as the fire burned a quarter mile from the contaminated area."
"As a wildfire in May approached the site of one of the worst nuclear meltdowns in U.S. history, state and local officials scrambled to respond to the blaze and to establish proper real-time radiation and air monitoring to protect Southern California families, internal emails show.
The 2,183-acre “Sandy Fire,” which began south of Simi Valley on the morning of May 18 and was active for nine days before being fully contained, did not result in any deaths or injuries."
Steven Rodas and Nina Dietz report for Inside Climate News August 12, 2026.
