Crews Get Handle on Southwest Fires

Two raging wildfires in the southwestern United States--one in New Mexico and the other in Arizona--that were started by government-ordered controlled burns and turned into roaring monsters appeared to be coming under control Friday.

New Mexico’s worst wildfire was slowing down and should be entirely contained by Monday after raging for nearly two weeks, devastating the town of Los Alamos and scorching the largest U.S. nuclear weapon lab, officials said.

Firefighters have stopped the fire’s advance along 70% of its 89-mile perimeter, up from 60% the day before, as strong winds diminished and wind direction pushed it back on areas already burned.

In Arizona, a wildfire that has been burning at the northern rim of Grand Canyon National Park for almost a month was described by officials as “stable and going nowhere.”

Firefighters were concentrating their efforts Friday on extinguishing hot spots near a North Rim lodge and on the northeast portion of the blaze near the Saddle Mountain Wilderness area.

Aided by favorable weather, about 1,200 firefighters from Arizona and four other states were expected to contain the Grand Canyon blaze by Sunday night, said Karla Martin, a fire information officer. It was at 61% containment Friday.

U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Deb Stefan said the New Mexico fire would “continue to burn, but well within the perimeter. There will be smoke over the area for several weeks or until the summer rain season begins.” New Mexico’s summer rains start in June or July.

The fire roared into Los Alamos last week after winds up to 50 mph fanned what was supposed to be a controlled burn on national parkland into an uncontrollable inferno that has consumed 47,650 acres.

The National Park Service came under fire in a federal report Thursday that found “critical mistakes” in the planning and implementation of the controlled burn started on May 4 in a corner of Bandelier National Monument.

Bandelier supervisor Roy Weaver, who last week took responsibility for the decision to set the controlled burn, has been suspended with pay pending the investigation.

The town of Los Alamos lost more than 200 homes and apartment buildings, leaving more than 400 families homeless.

The blaze also destroyed parts of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the nation’s major nuclear lab, including wooden buildings that housed the Manhattan Project, which built the first atomic bomb.

Plans were being made to reopen the Los Alamos laboratory, possibly as soon as Monday.