Firefighters in Arizona say Mother Nature holds the wild card now. A day of dry-lightning is forecast, threatening to whip the Rodeo fire back into high hot flame in the canyons, the forests and grasslands.
Yesterday, President Bush declared it a federal disaster area, freeing up money for more fire crews and for the people who've lost their homes. But in some circles, it's exactly that federal safety net that's raising questions about the balance of risk and responsibility for people who choose to live in areas prone to such spectacular blazes.
In the California canyons that burned 10 years ago, residents now abide by rigid construction and land management codes, compelled to live with the wilderness rather than in spite of it.
