The protection of homes and other structures remained the main priority as wildland firefighting crews battled the Rodeo-Chediski Fire at the Fort Apache Indian Reservation and the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest in Arizona. At press time the fire was at 410,000 acres — an area larger than the city of Los Angeles.

President George W. Bush declared the area a national emergency entitled to $20 million in support through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Additional funding will be available if needed. Expenses were estimated to be $1 million per day.

The extreme size of the fire, the abundance of dry fuel and the nearly continuous urban interface from Heber to Hon Dah presented the firefighters will significant control problems.

The fire had destroyed 150 residences, but more than 2,000 homes were saved. The town of Show Low was being evacuated and was under watch.

The fire is managed under a unified command consisting of four Type I incident management teams. Resources totaling 2,313 firefighters, and support personnel included:

• 15 Type I Hot Shot crews,
• 50 Type II crews,
• 11 helicopters,
• 104 engines,
• 50 dozers,
• 33 water tenders and
• Seven air tankers.

Worst-ever Colorado wildfire

Bush declared a major disaster for Colorado to cover damage to private property from wildfires that began April 23.

At press time, fire personnel battled the blazes of at least eight different fires around the state.

Firefighters in Lake George said they had contained two-thirds of the 137,000-acre Hayman Fire that originally threatened suburbs of Denver when it began on June 8. U.S. Forest Service employee Terry Barton has been charged with deliberately setting the fire, which has been called the worst wildfire in the state's history. The fire burned 114 homes, evacuated thousands and has cost an estimated $21.7 million.

Elsewhere in Colorado, the 69,403-acre Missionary Ridge Fire was 30% contained. Subdivisions near Lemon and Vallecito Reservoirs and along State Route 250 remained evacuated. Additional evacuations were under way, with 1,271 residences threatened.

The 9,218-acre Million Fire in Rio Grande National Forest was 60% contained. The 12,209-acre Coal Seam Fire, which at one point forced the closure of Interstate 70, about 160 miles west of Denver, was 90% contained.

The Departments of Agriculture and the Interior, FEMA and the state of Colorado joined together to help train local Colorado firefighters to assist in the wildland fire season.

Under the training initiative, several hundred local firefighters could receive wildland fire training to respond to current and future wildland fires on federal, state and private lands. USDA, DOI and FEMA will pay for training costs.

More than 3,500 federal firefighters have been assigned to Colorado fires along with 200 fire engines, 18 helicopters and 17 air tankers. In addition, FEMA has so far sent out $70 million in disaster assistance checks to Colorado residents.

Government disaster assistance covers basic needs only and normally will not compensate individuals for their entire loss. If individuals have insurance, the government may help pay for basic needs not covered by the insurance.