More crews fight Los Alamos blaze

30 June 2011 Last updated at 01:07 GMT Officials from the Los Alamos National Laboratory say dangerous materials are safely stored

Hundreds more firefighters have been deployed to battle a wildfire near a top US nuclear weapons research lab in New Mexico amid concerns the blaze could reach radioactive waste.

Nearby residents have expressed concern about potential contamination if flames reach barrels stored outside.

But officials are confident the fire will not reach the drums and they say dangerous materials are safely stored.

The town outside Los Alamos National Laboratory was evacuated on Monday.

The laboratory has been closed since then and is not expected to open until Friday at the earliest, officials said.

The Las Conchas fire has now burned 110 sq miles (284.9 sq km), fuelled by dry timber and powered by strong winds. Smoke from the blaze can be seen as far away as Albuquerque 60 miles (100km) away.

"Everything is just so dry and ready to burn," Los Alamos County Fire Chief Doug Tucker told the Associated Press news agency.

"We need some rain. Snow would be nice," added Mr Tucker, whose department is responsible for protecting the lab.

On Wednesday, there were expected to be between 600 to 800 firefighters tackling the blaze, an official told the Albuquerque Journal, adding that the number could climb as high as 1,000.

Air National Guard members from Colorado, California and North Carolina have also flown in to help local crews battle the fire near the lab, which remains closed to all but essential staff.

The Environmental Protection Agency has deployed air monitors and aircraft that can monitor radiation levels, amid fears the blaze could reach a cache of 30,000 drums, each containing 55 gallons (208 litres) of plutonium-contaminated waste.

Fire managers said foam could be sprayed on the barrels containing the radioactive materials to ensure they were not damaged by fire, a procedure which would only be carried out as a last resort.

Nearing the lab

On Monday, the fire saw the evacuation of the town of Los Alamos, which has a population of roughly 12,000.

The facility, which opened during World War II, led the development of the atomic bomb.

On Tuesday evening, the wildfire was just across the road from the southern edge of the Los Alamos lab, roughly 50ft (15m) from the site's grounds.

The laboratory employs about 15,000 people, sprawls more than 36 square miles (93 sq km) and includes about 2,000 buildings over about four dozen sites.

The wildfire has destroyed 30 structures south and west of Los Alamos.

The south-western US has been stricken by giant wildfires this year, with millions of acres scorched in New Mexico, Arizona and Texas.

To the west of New Mexico, the largest wildfire in the history of the state of Arizona has been burning for nearly a month.

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Bug genomes to help fight disease

17 June 2011 Last updated at 12:18 GMT By Jennifer Carpenter Science reporter, BBC News Insect-borne diseases are a leading cause of death in young children under the age of five around the globe Thousands of insects are being lined up to have their genomes sequenced.

The five-year project will help researchers pinpoint vulnerable regions of insects' genomes, which could be targeted with pesticides.

The project's leaders hope the initiative will make a dent in the $50bn spent globally each year to control diseases transmitted by insects.

The final list of six-legged critters has yet to be finalised.

The project, called the 5000 Insect and Other Arthropod Genome Initiative, comes at a time when the costs of genome sequencing have fallen substantially and it is feasible to cheaply sequence large numbers of animals and plants.

Handfuls of bugs

Among the list of agriculturally important insects and other arthropods - animals with exoskeletons - to be sequenced are handfuls of bugs that act as disease vectors.

By comparing the genomes of these insects with those of their close relatives that don't carry pathogens, researchers hope to pinpoint the genes that make one insect a disease-vector and another not.

What's more, knowing the genes involved will help researchers better predict how insect immune systems will evolve in response to biopesticide control measures, such as Beauveria bassiana, a fungus used to control mosquitoes in malaria-ridden countries in Africa.

It is also hoped that the project will aid the search for suitable compounds for use as pesticides; ones that kill a targeted pest but leave the beneficial pollinating insects that also visit the crop plants unharmed.

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Fight to halt march of toxic caterpillars

20 May 2011 Last updated at 10:58 GMT By Clare Lissaman BBC News The oak processionary moth caterpillar was discovered in England in 2006 For the past two days, Tony Kirkham has been spraying insecticide on hundreds of oak trees at Kew Gardens to keep a toxic caterpillar at bay.

The caterpillars of the oak processionary moth (OPM) damage oak trees by feeding on their leaves, while its toxin-containing hairs pose health risks to people.

The moth has taken hold in five London boroughs despite attempts to eradicate it after its arrival in the UK five years ago.

Head of arboretum Mr Kirkham said the Royal Botanic Gardens had been "fighting to eradicate it" since three caterpillar nests were identified at the site in 2006.

He said the outbreak spread into the famous gardens from imported trees used in a housing development in nearby Kew Village.

Mr Kirkham is concerned about the many stresses affecting oak trees

The south-west London gardens originally fought the problem by removing caterpillar nests but found the insects returned every year, and in 2009 about 450 European oaks were affected.

"We've begun spraying again this year and many of our neighbours are doing the same", said Mr Kirkham.

"The more people that treat it, the more chance we have of keeping it in check."

Mr Kirkham said he had been "very sensitive" to the tiny toxic hairs on the caterpillars and quickly developed a rash after any contact.

The Health Protection Agency has warned people to avoid the caterpillars, which can cause itchy skin patches and itchy eyes. Asthma UK has also said the insect's tiny hairs can trigger asthma attacks.

Mr Kirkham, who has worked at Kew for more than 30 years, had feared the introduction of "keep out" signs in the gardens because of health concerns over the caterpillars.

'Here to stay'

The moth's persistence in the UK has raised concerns for Britain's beloved oaks.

Mr Kirkham said the caterpillar infestations rarely led to the death of the trees, but they were weakened by their defoliation as they were less able to make food through photosynthesis.

He said trees had seen weeks of drought and were under pressure from other pests and diseases and feared an OPM epidemic could "tip the balance for oak trees".

The moth is named after the way the caterpillars move in nose-to-tail processions

Mr Kirkham added: "I am confident that I can manage OPM here on the Kew site, but worry for others in the industry who aren't able to do what I am doing."

The Forestry Commission said it had been working with councils and other bodies in London to protect the "iconic tree of England" against the moth.

Roger Coppock, head of specialist advisors, said they had managed to significantly reduce the problem in treated areas, but this year the commission moved to a policy of "containment" in the five boroughs as eradication had not worked.

"It's likely the pest will be here to stay in this area," he added.

'Instant trees'

The commission's aim is stop the pest spreading and a six-mile (10km) "buffer zone" has been created around the boroughs.

Its policy is to eradicate the moth in other areas where it crops up, such as in Pangbourne, Berkshire, where it was found last month.

The Forestry Commission has brought in measures to protect oak trees

Mr Coppock said the main reason for new pests and diseases - not just moths - in the UK was due to the international trade in plants.

He said British gardeners were increasingly using the internet to import plants from abroad, while trees where being imported for landscape designs and developments.

All oak trees coming into the UK from the EU now need a "plant passport" to confirm they are OPM free.

The commission is also contributing to the EU Plant Health Review to help protect the country from pests and diseases.

Olympic Park is among places in London which will not use oak trees as part of efforts to combat the bug.

Natural predators

Meanwhile, an increase in other types of caterpillars has been seen around England, with experts saying the unusually warm spring was responsible.

Infestations of brown-tail moth caterpillars, which can also cause rashes and respiratory problems, have been seen in Sussex and Essex.

David Clarke, of Bexhill, East Sussex, said he had noticed "spider-web-like" tents containing hundreds of caterpillars over a 15ft shrub in his front garden for the first time this year.

"They munched through the big shrub and stripped away nearly every leaf," he said.

He said the leaves of the shrub were normally so dense they obscured birds on the branches.

David Clarke's shrub is normally thick with leaves in spring

Mr Clarke and his neighbour, who had the caterpillars over his rose bushes, came out in itchy rashes when then came into contact with the hairy insects.

Richard Parker-Harding, Rother District Council's head of environmental health said brown-tail moth caterpillars had been in the area for more than 30 years, but added "cases of infestation do appear to be higher this year".

Mr Coppock said the species, which ate foliage and shrubs, was native to Britain and was "not a major concern" for the commission.

"It will have natural predators which will eat the insect," he said.

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