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John Hollenhorst ReportingIn Arizona, a fire near the Grand Canyon is causing concern and evacuations. The fire causing the most concern near the canyon is the Warm Fire near the north rim. A lot of folks are angry with what they consider government mismanagement of the fire.
Nearly 60 thousand acres have been blackened in the last few days. Experts generally consider periodic fire to be healthy for a forest, but critics here are calling this an environmental disaster.
The fire started with a lightening strike almost three weeks ago. Government experts chose to let it burn because it started naturally in an area overdue for fire. But last weekend, high winds blew it out of control with an intensity that was frightening some of the locals.
Now, tourists have been forced away from the Grand Canyon's North Rim, and even the famous Grand Canyon mules have been put on a forced vacation.
Tawn Mangum, Mule Concessionaire: "I'm shut clear down and I got 80 head of mule standin' here, waitin' to do somethin'. No tellin' when we'll be up and running again."
Eight-hundred firefighters are trying to get the blaze under control. It's now 20 percent contained.
Storms late yesterday added real concern, but today was a good day. The fire did not expand beyond its burned perimeters.
Larry TunforssFire Information Officer: "Storms can help you and they can kill you. Because what happens is you get the rain from the storm, well that's terrific; but you also get the wind, and that's gonna move the embers into areas where we didn't want them. And you can get the lightning strikes, which grounds all your aircraft."
We spoke today with a man from Salt Lake whose family has had ranching business here for almost 150 years. He's furious about the way this was handled, and we'll hear his story tonight at 10.
