Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Today
Firefighters Say Hayman Fire Will Be Contained by Sunday
Aired June 28, 2002 - 14:35 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: A wall of flames near Denver, Colorado. That's what it looked like about two weeks ago. Now you see mostly smoke. Firefighters say they hope to have the Hayman fire fully contained on Sunday. The Forest Service worker accused of setting that fire is out of jail now.
Terry Barton posted bond late yesterday. She calls the fire an accident. Still burning is the huge fire though just outside Durango. But crews say most of the fire line around it is finished.
To Arizona now, where a monster fire has burned nearly everything it can around the town of Show Low. Now it's moving south and west, but firefighters in hot pursuit. Let's check in with CNN's David Mattingly, who's got the lowdown in Show Low.
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, all eyes right now are to the west of us. That's where they're keeping an eye on a huge wall of flame -- very high plumes, very high temperatures, and very similar to the wall of flame that once threatened Show Low. It's now menacing communities to the west of us, about 30 miles away from here or so.
Concerns are that fire could reenter the previously hit towns of Heber and Overgaard. A great deal of effort has gone into slashing control lines through the forest. Some 90 miles are under construction today. The hope is that the lines will hold and the fire will not advance into developed areas.
Now, some people who have lost their homes will be shuttled into what's left of their neighborhoods today. And this is where it is really expected to hit home emotionally. We've seen some of these areas already. We showed them to you yesterday.
The fires were so intense that homes were absolutely incinerated. The flames were so hot, mobile homes, acres of them at a time, were melted, metal and all. You can drive through some of these neighborhoods, in fact, and see nothing but driveways and charred foundations.
Now, Fredricka, discussions are also underway as to when to allow the 7,700 residents of Show Low back into their homes. That decision has not been made yet. Last night fire officials set a 600 acre burnout outside of town. Depending on how well that goes, that's when they will make their decision. But we've been told probably no decision will be made today.
Fredricka, back to you.
WHITFIELD: All right, fair enough. Thank you very much, David Mattingly.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com