Buildings at National Observatory destroyed by wildfire in Arizona

A wildfire outside of Tucson, Arizona has claimed four buildings at the Kitt Peak National Observatory, a major astronomical research centre.

The buildings included some housing and two minor buildings, with all of the telescopes remaining, the National Science Foundation reported.

The blaze, nicknamed the Contreras Fire, started on June 11 and has swelled to over 20,000 acres — half the size of Washington, DC — and prompted an evacuation of the observatory. As of Sunday evening, it was around 40 per contained.

The observatory, run by the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab, hosts multiple telescopes and other astronomical equipment used for in space research. While the scientific structures appear to have been unharmed, a full survey of potential damage can only happen once the area is safe to return to, NSF said.

Fire crews are continuing to battle flames in the area.

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