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CNN Live Today

Mayor Discusses Fertilizer Shed Fire

Aired August 07, 2002 - 11:44   ET

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

LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: We have been watching a fire that is under way there. This is a fire that's burning in what looks like a fertilizer warehouse shed. From what we have been hearing, there are thousands of pounds of fertilizer fully engaged in fire, and there is also diesel fuel there as well.
We are joined right now on the telephone by the mayor of Quincy, Massachusetts, William Phelan.

Your honor, what can you tell us about what is going on there right now?

MAYOR WILLIAM PHELAN, QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS: Right now, what you have just suggested seems to be the case. Quincy Fire Department, HAZMAT offices there, as well as the LAPC regional coordinator there were concerned with the safety of the firefighters first and foremost. The fire is in an secluded -- somewhat secluded area from the neighborhoods, which is a positive.

HARRIS: That's a good thing, definitely.

PHELAN: The wind doesn't seem to be a real huge factor at this point. And things are stable. They are going to allow the fire, from my understanding at this point, to continue without trying to attack it, because it doesn't appear to be safe environment to go near. So they are staying some distance away at this point in time for the safety of the firefighters because it is in a secluded area.

HARRIS: Mayor Phelan, I want to apologize for getting your name wrong in the beginning of all this.

First of all, are they concerned right now that this thing could explode? We were watching earlier, and we noticed they weren't putting any water on it. Is that because they believe the water could actually make the fire more dangerous?

PHELAN: I'm not sure of that. But they are concerned there could be an explosion. That's why they are keeping their distance from the fire itself.

HARRIS: Got you.

Now, how close are those homes that we saw in the background, just to the south of this fire?

PHELAN: I don't know the exact distance, but they are, I would say, over 500 yards away. HARRIS: Have they been evacuated?

PHELAN: They have not been evacuated at this point. They are keeping an eye on that. We are being prepared to evacuate. We're contacting the individuals in those neighborhoods and giving them an alternative. But at this point, it doesn't appear that they are in imminent danger. So that is something the fire chief will make the call on, and to my knowledge has not made that.

HARRIS: How about the smoke, though? They may not be in danger from the fire, but is that smoke going to pose a health problem there?

PHELAN: Again, if it were to pose a health problem, they would evacuate those homes immediately. My information at this point in time is that it is not posing a health risk to those residents.

HARRIS: Once again, more good news there.

PHELAN: At this point, yes.

HARRIS: More good news there.

Let me ask you about the conditions up there. We have been watching, we have been seeing over the past few months a drought condition that has pretty much settled in over most of the East here. Is there any threat at all of that causing a problem with the fire spreading over to the woods that we see behind there.

PHELAN: No, I don't think that that is the concern. I think the exposure will be kept to a minimum. The area has some wooded area. But I don't think the fact there's been a drought is causing more of a concern for spreading than otherwise. But again, that's nothing that the fire chief would know better than I.

HARRIS: We understood that this structure was owned by the Quarry Hills Golf Course. Is this on the golf course?

PHELAN: Yes. It's right adjacent to the golf course. I don't know how much you know of that area, but it's an area in which was previously a landfill that was covered from dirt from the big dig -- right from the big dig. So that's quite a big area, a large amount of fill there. So that's why there is not a lot of wooded areas surrounding that location.

HARRIS: I see. Once again that's another good thing for you.

PHELAN: That is another positive aspect of it, that's correct.

HARRIS: It struck me when I first heard that Quarry Hills owned the structure, I immediately thought it might be a golf course, because in most golf courses that I go to, they have a storage shed like this where they store all of their fertilizer. But they also store gasoline and diesel fuel as well. Do you know how much of that might be there?

PHELAN: No, I haven't received any reports of diesel fuel being nearby. There is some concern that there's a heating oil tank close by. I'm not sure how close, but I heard you reference diesel fuel. I'm not aware of that.

HARRIS: We did hear that from some other source there in that area.

Mayor Phelan, we sure do wish you luck in the situation. Thank you very much for taking time and talking with us. I'm sure you put at ease many of the people who may be living in that area and watching CNN this morning.

PHELAN: Thank you.

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