Critics say Forest Service responded slowly to wildfire that became largest in Ariz. history

Sunday, September 29th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

SHOW LOW, Ariz. (AP) _ The Forest Service responded slowly to build fire breaks and save homes from a wildfire that later grew into the largest in Arizona history, local officials told members of Congress.

But a Forest Service official defended the agency's handling of the blaze, saying that given its size and intensity, there was often nothing to be done but get out of the way.

The wildfire near Show Low destroyed 467 homes and burned 732 square miles before it was stopped in July. It originally was two fires, the Rodeo fire which started June 18 and the Chediski fire which started June 20.

At Saturday's congressional field hearing, Heber-Overgaard Fire Department Chief Mell Epps said the Forest Service didn't move quickly enough to battle the Chediski fire when it was small.

He said federal fire commanders should have known the blaze was volatile because the Rodeo fire had already exploded under identical conditions.

``Had our side of the fire (Chedeski) been taken as serious as the Rodeo, our losses could have been as small as our neighbors to the east,'' Epps said.

Firefighters kept flames out of Show Low, home to 7,700 people. But Linden, 10 miles west, lost more than 100 homes, and Heber-Overgaard lost more than 200. About 30,000 residents of several communities were evacuated at the height of the fire.

Forest Service fire plan coordinator Bob Leaverton said all that could have been done to fight the fire was done. At one point, the fire was burning a square mile of forest every minute, he noted.

Republican Reps. Jeff Flake and J.D. Hayworth headed the hearing to gather testimony about the fire response and forest management in the region. Hayworth is a member of the forest health subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee.