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CNN Live Today
40,000 Denver Residents on Verge of Evacuation
Aired June 11, 2002 - 10:12 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Shifting winds have come to the salvation of thousands of people outside of Denver. The change in direction has forced the 75,000-acre blaze to back-track into its own charred path. And that has slowed the advance of the wild fire and eased the threat of evacuations. We are talking about some 40,000 people on the verge of evacuating their homes. The fire had doubled in size since Sunday and raced up to a mile an hour.
Want to get the view from a fire station six miles from the front line, and for that we bring in our Lilian Kim, joining us with the latest. She is near Littleton, Colorado -- Lillian, hello.
LILIAN KIM: Hello, Daryn. At 77,000 acres, this is the largest fire in Colorado history. The cost of fighting it, more than a million dollars a day. The good news is that the winds have shifted. But fire officials warn the blaze could kick up again at any time, depending on the weather.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KIM (voice-over): Firefighters say the wind-driven flames are unpredictable. At one point, so dangerous that crews were pulled off the lines.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have never seen anything like this. I've never seen it grow so quickly.
KIM: The fire, moving as quickly as a mile an hour, came alarmingly close to Denver suburbs, creating a haze over the city. Hundreds have left their homes. Many more may eventually be forced out. Authorities have drawn up plans to evacuate as many as 40,000 residents. High winds, high temperatures and dry conditions are making it tough for crews battling the flames.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It has been some erratic fire behavior out here. High winds, gusting winds, low humidities, extreme fire behavior we've witnessed out here, torching some ground fires as well.
KIM: Firefighters say the blaze was started by an illegal campfire, about 55 miles southwest of Denver. The fire is one of at least eight burning in Colorado.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are in competition, obviously, with other fires burning across the state, for the resources that are available. There is a finite number of resources. Right now we have a lot demand.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KIM: Even though the flames have been kept away from Denver's suburbs so far, residents have definitely been feeling the effects. They've see a layer of ash on their roof tops and yards. And people are getting sick from the smoky air, so not a pleasant situation here in the Denver area, especially for people with respiratory problems.
Reporting live from Littleton, Colorado, I'm Lilian Kim -- Daryn, back to you.
KAGAN: Lilian, it sounds like even if you're not near the fire line, you're going to feel the effects in Colorado as the governor has come up with a fireworks ban, trying to protect what has not burned.
KIM: Yes, and he has also banned outdoor burning in state parks and national forests in hopes of minimizing any chance of another fire.
KAGAN: Lilian Kim in Littleton, Colorado. Thank you very much.
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