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CNN Live Today
Interview With Dick Murphy
Aired October 27, 2003 - 10:33 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: Now, as we mentioned moments ago wildfires in San Diego have forced a closure of the schools, colleges, universities. The mayor there has also asked the city's employers to allow employees stay home today.
Dick Murphy joins us on the phone to talk about his appeal and update us on the crisis facing his city. Mr. Mayor, good morning. Thanks for taking the time to talk with us.
MAYOR DICK MURPHY, SAN DIEGO CALIF.: Good morning.
KAGAN: I saw an interview with you earlier where you're trying to stress to people it's life over the house.
MURPHY: That's right. It's, you know, critically important that people understand that their life is more important than saving their house. And that when police tell you to evacuate, get out.
KAGAN: What kind of numbers are we looking at, not just for the city but the county of San Diego, Mr. Mayor?
MURPHY: Well, I have, you know, definitive numbers on the city. We have 25,000 acres burned, 160 homes destroyed. The numbers for the county, I just have the numbers we had last night. It was something like 200 square miles in the San Diego County, over 400 homes in the county. It is devastating.
KAGAN: And in your memory of your years in San Diego, do you remember anything like this?
MURPHY: No, I have never seen anything like this. I lived in San Diego almost 35 years. There have been some bad wild fires out in the mountains to the east, but nothing that has affected residential areas like this one has.
KAGAN: And I think a lot of people who haven't had the chance to visit your beautiful city, or maybe they have, they're focusing on the beaches, and they might be surprised by some of the mountainous pictures we are showing and the valleys. How would you explain that? Mr Mayor? Do we still have you on the line, Mr. Mayor? All right, looks like we're losing. Very busy day for the city of San Diego.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired October 27, 2003 - 10:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Now, as we mentioned moments ago wildfires in San Diego have forced a closure of the schools, colleges, universities. The mayor there has also asked the city's employers to allow employees stay home today.
Dick Murphy joins us on the phone to talk about his appeal and update us on the crisis facing his city. Mr. Mayor, good morning. Thanks for taking the time to talk with us.
MAYOR DICK MURPHY, SAN DIEGO CALIF.: Good morning.
KAGAN: I saw an interview with you earlier where you're trying to stress to people it's life over the house.
MURPHY: That's right. It's, you know, critically important that people understand that their life is more important than saving their house. And that when police tell you to evacuate, get out.
KAGAN: What kind of numbers are we looking at, not just for the city but the county of San Diego, Mr. Mayor?
MURPHY: Well, I have, you know, definitive numbers on the city. We have 25,000 acres burned, 160 homes destroyed. The numbers for the county, I just have the numbers we had last night. It was something like 200 square miles in the San Diego County, over 400 homes in the county. It is devastating.
KAGAN: And in your memory of your years in San Diego, do you remember anything like this?
MURPHY: No, I have never seen anything like this. I lived in San Diego almost 35 years. There have been some bad wild fires out in the mountains to the east, but nothing that has affected residential areas like this one has.
KAGAN: And I think a lot of people who haven't had the chance to visit your beautiful city, or maybe they have, they're focusing on the beaches, and they might be surprised by some of the mountainous pictures we are showing and the valleys. How would you explain that? Mr Mayor? Do we still have you on the line, Mr. Mayor? All right, looks like we're losing. Very busy day for the city of San Diego.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
