Devastating wildfires in Los Angeles forced the closure and evacuation of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) as flames approached within a mile of the facility. JPL, responsible for robotic spacecraft and the Deep Space Network used for planetary missions, is situated in a mandatory evacuation zone. Fortunately, officials haven't reported any fire damage.
JPL director Laurie Leshin announced on X (formerly Twitter) on January 8th: “JPL is closed except for emergency personnel. No fire damage so far (some wind damage) but it is very close to the lab. Hundreds of JPLers have been evacuated from their homes & many have lost homes. Special thx to our emergency crews. Pls keep us in your thoughts & stay safe.”
As of January 8th, JPL’s emergency page stated the site would remain closed until January 13th. Their statement confirmed: “Currently, JPL facilities, labs and hardware are secured and protected. Deep Space Network operations, normally conducted at JPL, have been moved offsite to a back-up operations center.”
The Eaton Fire, which ignited on January 7th, alongside other significant fires in Los Angeles County, rapidly spread due to unusually strong winds. By Thursday afternoon, it had consumed almost 10,600 acres and remained 0% contained, according to Cal Fire. Over 50,000 people evacuated, and five casualties were reported.
JPL, managed by the California Institute of Technology for NASA, is a pivotal center for space and Earth science. Its contributions include missions like the Voyager probes and the Mars rovers. The 168-acre lab plays a vital role in assembling, testing, and operating these missions, and managing the Deep Space Network's antennas across Australia, California, and Spain.
JPL employs approximately 5,500 people after recent staff reductions. The impact of this evacuation on ongoing and future missions remains to be fully assessed.