Fueled by Climate Change, Wildfires Threaten Toxic Superfund Sites
Blazes at the imperiled hazardous waste sites could release toxins ranging from acid mine drainage to radioactive smoke.
December 23, 2020
Firefighters use a back burn to try and control the Carr fire as it spreads towards the towns of Douglas City and Lewiston near Redding, California on July 31, 2018. The fire swept over the Iron Mountain Mine Superfund site, threatening to release corrosive chemicals into the watershed and contaminate Redding s water supply. Two firefighters were killed fighting the blaze and a 70 year old woman and her two great-grandchildren perished when their Redding home was swallowed by the flames. Credit: Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images