PHOENIX ÷ The Phoenix woman responsible for setting a wildfire that burned down the homes of White Mountain residents has apologized.

For more than a month, Heber residents raged against Valinda Jo Elliott, spreading rumors and demanding criminal prosecution.

But, when the 27-year-old woman paid a surprise visit to the town last week and tearfully apologized before TV cameras, spite surrendered to sympathy and forgiveness, The Arizona Republic reported.

"We wanted to look her in the face and hear from her exactly what went on," said Wanda Clark, who lost her home to the Rodeo-Chediski fire. "I said, âWhy donât we meet at my house, which is burnt down?â"

"I took her by the hand and led her through the nonexistent house, showing where the kitchen was, and the sun-room. She was just shaking and I told her, âYou have a lot of guts, honey, and I respect that.â"

Elliottâs face-off in Heber was set up by the television newsmagazine "Inside Edition," which also retraced her misadventures leading up to the fire.

That saga began June 18, when Ransford Olmsted and Elliott, driving from Phoenix to Young on a work assignment, wound up lost and stranded on the backroads of the Fort Apache Reservation. Elliott got even more lost when she went off alone to seek help.

After two nights in the woods, Elliott spotted a helicopter and set a bush ablaze. She was rescued, but her signal fire grew and merged into the largest conflagration in Arizona history, destroying hundreds of buildings and 469,000 acres of forest.

Especially in Heber-Overgaard, townsfolk painted Elliott as a stupid and reckless woman who showed no remorse ÷ and who deserved to be punished.

Some White Mountain residents may not share Clarkâs change of heart, but volunteer Fire Chief Mel Epps said most in the crowd of 20 to 30 people responded with compassion, holding hands, hugging and praying with her.

Clark, who now blames environmentalists for the devastation, says she is convinced that Elliott was desperate to be rescued and justified in lighting a signal fire.

"How can we condemn a person for trying to save her life?" Clark said. "You canât. And there comes a time to let things go."