The devastating Arizona wildfire set a record on Tuesday as the largest in state history, having burned over 469,000 acres, as shown in the latest aerial infrared images of the fire on Tuesday.
The wildfire that has been continuing its disaster through the pine forests of eastern Arizona for more than two weeks has surpassed the 468,000 acres destroyed in the 2002 Rodeo-Chediski Fire in eastern Arizona. That makes the Wallow Fire the largest on record in Arizona.
However, in terms of property losses, the Rodeo-Chidiski was far worse, destroying about 400 homes, said U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Suzanne Flory.
Dozens of homes have been burned and as many as 10,000 people have been displaced by the Wallow Fire since its eruption on May 29 due to a suspected unattended campfire in the White Mountains region.
Due to wind-whipped blaze, most parts of the the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest, about 150 miles east of Phoenix, have got burned, said a Reuters report.
Although evacuation orders were lifted on Sunday for 7,000 to 8,000 residents forced to flee last week from two towns near the border with New Mexico, Springerville and Eagar, authorities have warned returning families that lingering smoke and soot in the air may cause health risks.
A wildland firefighter extinguishes a hot spot on the eastern edge of the Wallow Wildfire outside Alpine, Arizona near the state border west of the town of Luna, New Mexico June 13, 2011. The fire has blacked 336,000 acres (136,000 hectares), making it the second largest forest fire on record in Arizona, as it cut through the popular mountain retreat of Greer in the eastern part of the state.REUTERS/Jim UrquhartA wildland firefighter extinguishes a hot spot on the eastern edge of the Wallow Wildfire outside Alpine, Arizona near the state border west of the town of Luna, New Mexico June 13, 2011. The fire has blacked 336,000 acres (136,000 hectares), making it the second largest forest fire on record in Arizona, as it cut through the popular mountain retreat of Greer in the eastern part of the state.REUTERS/Jim UrquhartWildland firefighters watch as a heavy helicopter fetches water from Luna Lake on the eastern edge of the Wallow Wildfire outside Alpine, Arizona near the state border west of the town of Luna, New Mexico as a flare up erupts north of the lake June 13, 2011. The fire has blacked 336,000 acres (136,000 hectares), making it the second largest forest fire on record in Arizona, as it cut through the popular mountain retreat of Greer in the eastern part of the state.REUTERS/Jim UrquhartA heavy helicopter returns to Luna Lake after dropping water on a flair up north of the lake, on the eastern edge of the Wallow Wildfire outside Alpine, Arizona near the state border west of the town of Luna, New Mexico June 13, 2011. The fire has blacked 336,000 acres(136,000 hectares), making it the second largest forest fire on record in Arizona, as it cut through the popular mountain retreat of Greer in the eastern part of the state.REUTERS/Jim UrquhartA wildland firefighter cuts down a tree on the eastern edge of the Wallow Wildfire outside Alpine, Arizona near the state border, west of the town of Luna, New Mexico June 12, 2011. Forest fire crews along the Arizona-New Mexico border braced for another day of high winds and low humidity on Sunday, battling the monster blaze that has forced as many as 10,000 people from their homes and charred 680 square miles.REUTERS/Jim UrquhartA wildland firefighter works at a hot spot on the eastern edge of the Wallow Wildfire outside Alpine, Arizona near the state border west of the town of Luna, New Mexico June 12, 2011. Forest fire crews along the Arizona-New Mexico border braced for another day of high winds and low humidity on Sunday, battling the monster blaze that has forced as many as 10,000 people from their homes and charred 680 square miles.REUTERS/Jim UrquhartSmoke from the Wallow Wildfire obscures the sun at a road check point west of the Reserve, New Mexico June 13, 2011. The fire has blacked 336,000 acres (136,000 hectares), making it the second largest forest fire on record in Arizona, as it cut through the popular mountain retreat of Greer in the eastern part of the state.REUTERS/Jim Urquhart