# Records reveal fire-response limits at Castelion's New Mexico missile factory

_Published Friday, October 9, 2026 at 6:06 AM EDT · Capital, Infrastructure · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

![Records reveal fire-response limits at Castelion's New Mexico missile factory — Primary](https://media.wired.com/photos/6abd1e80dae3985b8f0ee44b/191:100/w_1280,c_limit/093926-New%20Mexico%20Missle.jpg)

Firefighters would leave 17 of 26 buildings at Castelion's Project Ranger missile factory to burn if a fire broke out, WIRED reported, citing public-records emails. The Rio Rancho Fire Department determined that chemical fires would make those facilities too dangerous for responders to enter.

A Sandia National Laboratories hazard assessment identified a test-stand fire as the most probable foreseeable hazardous event, with toxic hydrogen chloride and chlorine among its potential byproducts. Roughly 450 nearby properties lie close to the site.

Emails also show Castelion negotiating fire-response requirements after construction began. The company declined to speak with WIRED; construction is scheduled to finish by year-end.

## Sources

- [WIRED](https://www.wired.com/story/a-new-mexico-community-was-a-place-to-build-a-life-then-a-hypersonic-missile-factory-showed-up/)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/mtOQgSSw2vXwWlWi4gwQGP
Published: 2026-10-09T10:06:25.149Z
Story chronology: 2026-10-09T09:30:00.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-10-09T12:13:57.828Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)