Out-of-control wildfire in Texas Panhandle prompts evacuation orders, nuclear facility closure

WASHINGTON: An out-of-control wildfire in the Texas Panhandle, fueled by high winds and dry air, prompted evacuation orders in small towns and shut down of a nuclear facility, according to media reports.

Pantex Plant, a major nuclear weapons facility in the US, suspended its operation Tuesday night due to the raging wildfires, Xinhua news agency reported.

The plant, located 21 miles (about 33.8 kilometers) east of Texas Panhandle's largest city Amarillo, assembles and disassembles the country's nuclear arsenal.

On Tuesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties in response to wildfires and said more counties could be added.

The governor warned that hot and dry conditions caused by high temperatures and windy conditions are expected to continue in the region in the coming days, raising fears that the wildfires may grow larger and more dangerous.