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CNN Live Today

Houston Official Discusses Raging Fires

Aired May 01, 2002 - 12:11   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: In the air near Houston, Texas, today, clouds of smoke from a powerful fire that burned out of control earlier this morning. You saw it live in fact on "AMERICAN MORNING." The fire chief says it could be days before the fire can be fully extinguished, though it is right now, it is under control.

At the worst of the times though, the fire sent flames about 100 feet in the air. And authorities say the blaze at a packaging plant started in a warehouse that contained flammable material, a lack of fire hydrants forcing crews to focus on containment. About 100 people were evacuated from nearby homes there.

We are now getting word that in the last several minutes, one of the ceilings there, one of the roofs inside that plant has collapsed. Jay Evans from the Houston Fire Department joins us now by way of telephone. Sir, can you hear me OK?

JAY EVANS, HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT: Yes, I can, Bill.

HEMMER: What is the latest? What happened there?

EVANS: Well, we have been able to get hose lines stretched down the east side of the warehouse. We have been able to get hose lines on the west side. And we started blanketing the tank farm with all of the collapsed tanks with foam, and we are going in now on the east side trying to put out spot fires.

But our main problem is that the warehouse, 150-square foot warehouse, 150,000 square foot warehouse, the roof was collapsed, and we're going to have to, you know, get lines in real close in order to get water underneath this collapsed roof to extinguish this fire fully.

HEMMER: What I am hearing you say is that there a possibility of more fires underneath where that collapse has taken place.

EVANS: Yes. There are small fires, and there are some pretty good sized spot fires underneath this collapsed structure. And now we have hose lines on the east side, and we will be attacking that as the next hour goes by.

But the smoke cloud has substantially decreased in the last hour, because we have been able to put water on some of these fires.

HEMMER: Yes. Anyone going back to their homes? We talked about 100 people being sent out of there today?

EVANS: No, no, we are still going to keep people out. We are going to reevaluate that at 4:00 p.m. today.

HEMMER: OK. Ad is this the kind of fire, sir, that may burn for several days possibly?

EVANS: Yes. Yes, it is. The little volunteer fire department is close by. The Pearland and the Friendswood are already talking about setting up shifts, so we can monitor through the night and on through tomorrow.

HEMMER: All right. Jay Evans, Houston, Fire Department -- best of luck to you, OK?

EVANS: Thank you, sir.

HEMMER: And keep us posted on what is happening down there southeast of Houston, Texas, that location there about 20 miles southeast. A big story earlier today, and it continues to be quite a nuisance for firefighters on hand. We'll watch it as well.

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