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CNN Live Today

Fire Near Denver Destroys 22 Homes

Aired June 14, 2002 - 11:43   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: The fire near Denver has destroyed at least 22 homes so far. Reporter Suzanne McCarroll, of our affiliate KCNC, has the story of some family members who are adding up their losses; but they are also counting their blessings.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUZANNE MCCARROLL, KCNC CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This was the Ingelheart' house until Saturday night. They played games here; they prayed here; they were a family here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's where all my jewelry was and everything.

MCCARROLL: But the family home is gone, their belongings burned. Even the kids' baby albums were reduce to ashes.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Look what Joe found.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah, he found a picture. What is it?

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Look.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's from one of your books.

MCCARROLL: The younger kids get excited when they find a page of their favorite story book, but the real story here seems awfully sad today.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My grandmother made me a quilt for a wedding present. And we had had it for 15 years; it was on the back of the couch.

MCCARROLL: Yet there's one Ingelheart who's not here, the one who continually gives this family strength.

JENALEE INGELHEART: It's really hard to breathe sometimes; like my lungs close up and it's just really hard to breathe.

MCCARROLL: Jenalee has cystic fibrosis. She had to be rushed here to the hospital last week because her lungs were filled with fluid. She couldn't breathe without horrible and painful coughing fits. While doctors were working to save her, firefighters tried to save her home. J. INGELHEART: Right now, I don't exactly have a home to go home to, like actual house to go home to. We're going to stay in a trailer at our church.

MCCARROLL: Her brother calls her with words of cheer, interspersed with some depressing updates from the rubble of their shared bedroom.

J. INGELHEART: He says, "Jenalee, you won't believe it." He says, "Our bunk beds; they melted completely flat on top of everything."

MCCARROLL: The Ingelhearts could feel legitimately feel pretty sorry for themselves about now. But the same day they lost their house, their daughter survived. Her illness has taught them all about coping with whatever life throws you.

J. INGELHEART: So I know bad things can happen. It's not like -- I don't feel like I'm immune to those -- to bad things. So I think -- I just take it better than some people.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: That's a child with wisdom beyond her years. And that story comes to us from Suzanne McCarroll, of affiliate KCNC.

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