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Arizona wildfire is the biggest in state history

Published:Thursday | June 16, 2011 | 12:00 AM
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Large flames are visible behind a home off Highway 92 as the Monument Fire burns in the Huachuca Mountains near Sierra Vista, Arizona, on Tuesday. Fires have devoured hundreds of square miles in the Southwest and Texas since wildfire season began several weeks ago. - AP photos
People watch the growing plume of smoke from across Highway 92 on Tuesday.
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ARIZONA (AP) :

The fire burning in eastern Arizona's Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest is now the largest in state history, although nowhere near the most damaging to homes.

The Wallow fire has forced nearly 10,000 people to evacuate in several small mountain communities and two larger towns on the forest edge. It has burned 11 structures.

Fire command team spokesman Alan Barbain spokesman said yesterday that the blaze has consumed 478,452 acres of forest, mainly ponderosa pine. Of those, 4,911 acres are in New Mexico and 473,541 are in Arizona.

That makes it larger than the 2002 Rodeo-Chediski fire, which began as two blazes before it merged into the worst wildfire in state history.

The Chediski started as a signal fire and joined with the Rodeo, which was intentionally set by a firefighter who needed work. Together they burned 732 square miles, destroyed 491 buildings and cost about US$400 million to fight.