Mexico Forest Hit by Fire

Mexico’s largest big-city forest park has been devastated by a fire that officials say was set by squatters seeking to take over land and has been worsened by armed gangs trying to scare off firefighting brigades.

The huge forest fire at the Bosque de la Primavera on the edge of the western city of Guadalajara has consumed 18,500 acres (7,500 hectares), sending plumes of smoke and ash into the city and forcing dozens of schools to close.

The chief firefighting official for the western state of Jalisco says squatters at camps along the park’s boundaries set the fire.

Alvaro Garcia Chavez said Wednesday that two firefighting teams encountered armed gangs in the woods over the weekend and were forced to temporarily withdraw. They later returned under police guard.