US Forest chief surveys massive wildfire

US Forest chief surveys massive wildfire Eds: APNewsNow. Will be updated. AP photos planned. SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) – U.S. Forest Chief Tom Tidwell is surveying damage caused by the largest wildfire currently burning in the country, a blaze that has scorched more than 404 square miles in southwestern New Mexico.

Tidwell was taking an aerial tour of the lightning-sparked fire in the Gila National Forest on Tuesday morning.

He planned to return to the agency’s regional headquarters in Albuquerque, where he’s expected to discuss a fatal crash of an air tanker that was fighting a southern Utah wildfire over the weekend. Two pilots were killed.

Firefighters in southern New Mexico are mopping up after burn operations along several portions of the Whitewater-Baldy fire’s perimeter.

The fire has charred more than 259,000 acres and a dozen cabins were destroyed. It was 20 percent contained by Tuesday morning.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

6/5/2012 10:28:15 AM (GMT -6:00)