VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The south Vandenberg AFB wildland fire that began on Sept. 17, has delayed the Atlas V launch scheduled for Sept. 18.
"Our procedures require stand-by firefighting crews for every launch to ensure safety of our personnel and facility protection," said Col. Paul Nosek, Emergency Operations Center commander. "We've delayed the launch in order to concentrate our resources on the situation at hand."
No facilities have been damaged by the fire in the remote canyon between Arguello and Santa Ynez Roads.
According to Col. Paul Nosek, no space launch complexes or critical range assets are in immediate danger.