Nation IN BRIEF : NEW MEXICO : Fire Sweeps Into Wildlife Refuge

Fire swept through a wildlife refuge along the Rio Grande, destroying the nesting grounds of tens of thousands of migratory birds, forestry officials said. About 5,000 acres have been scorched in the Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge south of Socorro, said Peggy Mitchusson, a wildlife biologist at the 57,000-acre refuge. The fire, apparently sparked by someone burning garbage, also destroyed much of an ongoing project to restore winter nesting sites for migratory birds, including bald eagles and whooping cranes.