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CNN Live Today
Firefighters Keep Fire From Destroying Show Low
Aired June 25, 2002 - 13:01 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is on the front lines in eastern Arizona, viewing the incredible destruction from a 350,000- acre wildfire. The president toured the hardest-hit areas with firefighters shortly after arriving today. He is to meet this hour with some of the 30,000 people that have been displaced by that fire.
CNN's Charles Molineaux is covering the president's visit from Show Low. He brings us more -- Charles.
CHARLES MOLINEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kyra, of course, we have seen President Bush dealing with people. He can really be adept at offering support, and he is going to be doing that, as well as some big-time financial support.
Here at Camp Show Low, firefighters have been very much on the case, trying to keep the fire from overrunning this town. The fire crews rolled out just a few minutes ago and hit the fire lines on a day when the Forest Service says that things are actually starting to look a little bit better, finally getting optimistic about getting a handle on the situation and keeping the fire from overrunning this town.
On the Rodeo-Chediski fire, there are now 2,300 people, including 15 elite-type hot-shot crews, 140 trucks, 7 tanker planes and 11 helicopters. Overnight, the forest crew did more cutting and fire lines and burnouts, burning out the brush to create a black barrier in a canyon west of Show Low. Fire leaders are hoping this will cut off a back door for what could have been a wall of fast-moving fire headed for the Show Low area.
They are celebrating that fact that they may be on the verge of really eliminating the wall-of-fire scenario as a possibility for this town, although spot fires do remain a risk.
Of course, a much more welcome guest is the president, and he is getting a friendlier welcome, bringing help as well. He has been meeting with the real heroes of the day, the firefighters themselves. And the president is now in the Eagar and Springerville area to meet with fire evacuees. A lot of them are staying at the Round Valley High School. They are set up on the Astroturf under the big football dome there in their sleeping bags and cots, waiting...
PHILLIPS: Charles Molineaux, I apologize for having to cut you off. We will check back in with you. We are going to head to Salt Lake City now, where the news conference is beginning concerning Elizabeth Smart.
(INTERRUPTED BY CNN COVERAGE OF BREAKING NEWS)
PHILLIPS: OK. Before we went to that news conference, we very rudely interrupted our Charles Molineaux. He has been covering, of course, the eastern Arizona fires and the fact that President Bush is spending time on the front lines viewing the incredible damage, in addition to meeting with the evacuees.
We are going to bring our Charles back in, so he can continue his report -- Charles, I apologize.
MOLINEAUX: Quite understandable -- thank you, Kyra.
Yes, we actually see the president coming to offer moral and some very big financial support. As we have been reporting, he is planning to declare parts of Arizona federal disaster areas, entitled to federal disaster aid. He has been touring the area by plane looking at the fire damage, along with the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Joe Allbaugh, and of course, Jane Hull, the governor of Arizona.
Right now, he is in the area of Springerville and Eagar, where the Round Valley High School has become a shelter for people who are evacuated from their homes in the path of the Rodeo-Chediski fires. Some 30,000 people had to clear out from several communities, including Show Low right here, because of concerns about the fire. A lot of them had to put lives on hold.
On the other hand, life doesn't necessarily go on hold when you plan on it. Just look at what happened over at the White Mountain Hospital. Alexia Blaze (ph) was born there yesterday. She weighs in at 9 pounds. Her mom was evacuated, but Alexia (ph) wasn't going to stand by and wait, and she showed up.
Now, her parents are scrambling. They have actually been staying at the high school shelter at Round Valley High under the big dome on the football field, and they are trying to come up with some duds for baby. Apparently, they did have baby clothes, but they left them in their house when they evacuated. So they are trying to figure what they are going to do about that.
But apparently, mother and baby are both doing just fine. Yes, life will not wait, even as we see disaster striking some of these communities.
But President Bush is still in the area and will be offering some big bucks aid from the federal government, as we hear from the Forest Service that they are actually getting a lot more hopeful over the course of the past 24 hours that they can prevent a big wall of fire from moving in here on Show Low. The entire town has been evacuated, except for Camp Show Low here, where the firefighters are working out of.
And they say that the weather is still not exactly good, but at least it is a little quieter, and they have managed to create some strategic fire breaks between here and the fire that could eliminate the possibility of a really big wall of fire. Come into question is, what about spot fires? That is still a consideration. The local Show Low fire and police are still on patrol for that kind of thing, as is the Forest Service -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Charles Molineaux, thanks so much.
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