Babbitt facing a firestorm of his own

LOS ALAMOS, N.M. -- It's up to Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt to explain to burned-out residents how a fire ordered by the National Park Service roared out of control and left hundreds of families homeless.

With cooler weather and favorable winds forecast for firefighters battling the monster blaze, Babbitt faced a firestorm of his own as he prepared to release a preliminary report today on what went wrong.

"If I think about it, I get very angry. It's ludicrous. There's no reason any of us should have lost our homes under these circumstances," said Tory Temple, 24, whose parents lost their home.

The May 4 controlled burn at Bandelier National Monument was supposed to clear 968 acres of brush. But high winds quickly whipped it into a wildfire that rolled over the town of Los Alamos, burning scores of homes and charring more than 47,000 acres.

By early today, the fire was 60 percent contained. There are still 1,200 firefighters active around Los Alamos, strengthening fire breaks, extinguishing hot spots and attacking the fire's still-active northwest flank.

Firefighters were holding their lines this morning.

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