Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Today
Interview With Mark Kyllingstad
Aired October 28, 2003 - 10:10 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: We want to show you some videotape and talk once again about what's happening in San Diego County, give you some numbers and put things in perspective a little bit.
Four separate fires burning out of control in San Diego county. Over 300,000 acres have burned. The largest, the Cedar fire has burned over 200,000 acres.
Just to keep a little bit of perspective, in California, which a lot of people think is fire country, this is the largest in the state since the 1930s.
Governor Davis still in charge here and he's talking about what the highest priorities are for fighting the fires and getting help to the victims.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: I want to tell everyone who is adversely affected by the fires in San Diego and throughout the state, two things. Our highest priority is, one, to put the fires out throughout California. And, two, to help put people's lives back in order.
Now, to put the fires out, we are allocating every possible resource here in San Diego and around the state.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: All right to get the latest on what is happening here at the edge, the northern edge of northern Los Angeles County, I have with us Fire Captain Mark Kyllingstad. Captain, thanks for being with us. I know this is a very busy time for you.
CAPTAIN MARK KYLLINGSTAD, L.A. COUNTY FIRE DPT.: It is, very busy.
KAGAN: First you were giving me a little information during the break about the helicopters that we see flying overhead.
KYLLINGSTAD: Right. That's a civilian version of a Black Hawk helicopter, it's the S-70 Black Hawk or Fire Hawk, as we call it. It has a thousand gallon water dumping capability. And it's one of the more modern pieces of fire equipment that we have in the fire service now.
KAGAN: What about the opportunity to fly today? How would you define or remark on the difference in weather conditions?
KYLLINGSTAD: These are great weather conditions from what we've been having for the last couple of days. The fire seems to be -- if you look at the smoke's going straight up. Very, very little wind. We should be able to make great progress on this fire today. I hope.
KAGAN: What kind of aerial assault will you expect in L.A. County?
KYLLINGSTAD: Everything. Helicopters, fixed wing, we have Super Scoopers out here also, and we are going to be throwing the toolbox at the fire today.
KAGAN: How frustrating has it been not being able to get those kind of tools up in the air up to this point?
KYLLINGSTAD: Well it's very frustrating from the aspect people are losing homes and everything else. And those are things we don't like to see. Those cut to the heart.
KAGAN: I just want to give our viewers a quick fire prevention lesson here. If you can describe what is taking place. You also were describing to me as we see the flare ups over our shoulders, from we're standing right here, not nothing to be concern concerned about. And actually you're saying that's a good thing for what you have done around this area.
KYLLINGSTAD: Yes, ma'am. First off, we really press hard for brush clearance and weed abatement.
KAGAN: And sorry -- I'm just going to interrupt you because -- is this the same chopper you are talking about?
KYLLINGSTAD: That's a Fire Hawk.
KAGAN: OK, as our viewers get a look at it if you can describe exactly what it is doing and how it is trying to fight the fire?
KYLLINGSTAD: OK, well he's got his targets back over behind you here now. He comes in, he'll make a sweep around, pick out his target. When he locks in on the target, he'll bank. OK, he's going up the hill on this aspect or on this little flare-up we have here.
KAGAN: He has 10,000 gallons of water on board?
KYLLINGSTAD: No, just a thousand gallons of water. And it's all computer operated and everything else. We can inject Class A Foam into the water and he'll make a banking turn and the doors will automatically open and dump a thousand gallons out and he'll go get some more water.
KAGAN: And you can't even compare that to fire fighting tools compared to getting your trucks up in there and men.
KYLLINGSTAD: To get personnel in there for one thing, it's a long hike, it's a long walk. And to get that kind of water on the fire up there, you can't do it.
KAGAN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) ask you a personal question, how long have you been fighting fires in this county?
KYLLINGSTAD: Twenty-four years.
KAGAN: And how would you compare what have you seen over the last five days?
KYLLINGSTAD: Well I'm an old camp guy. I ran hand crews. And this is some of the most intense fire behavior I've seen in the my 24 years.
KAGAN: And would you contribute it to the conditions and the dryness and people are -- I mean, L.A. County, this is stretched. And people are living in places they weren't living in 20 years ago.
KYLLINGSTAD: That's a very true statement. And the conditions we have been lining up for this for a lot of years. This area has not burned in the 24 yourself I've been a county fireman.
KAGAN: So it's in some way inevitable.
KYLLINGSTAD: Yes, it's cyclical. When the fire burned through here the last time it did a pretty hard job. But we didn't have the homes and all the ranches and all the businesses that we have in the area now too.
KAGAN: Captain, a lot of work to be done. We wish you well.
KYLLINGSTAD: Thank you very much.
KAGAN: Thanks for taking the time.
KYLLINGSTAD: You bet.
KAGAN: Good luck. Captain Mark Kyllingstad with the L.A. County Fire Department.
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 28, 2003 - 10:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We want to show you some videotape and talk once again about what's happening in San Diego County, give you some numbers and put things in perspective a little bit.
Four separate fires burning out of control in San Diego county. Over 300,000 acres have burned. The largest, the Cedar fire has burned over 200,000 acres.
Just to keep a little bit of perspective, in California, which a lot of people think is fire country, this is the largest in the state since the 1930s.
Governor Davis still in charge here and he's talking about what the highest priorities are for fighting the fires and getting help to the victims.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: I want to tell everyone who is adversely affected by the fires in San Diego and throughout the state, two things. Our highest priority is, one, to put the fires out throughout California. And, two, to help put people's lives back in order.
Now, to put the fires out, we are allocating every possible resource here in San Diego and around the state.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: All right to get the latest on what is happening here at the edge, the northern edge of northern Los Angeles County, I have with us Fire Captain Mark Kyllingstad. Captain, thanks for being with us. I know this is a very busy time for you.
CAPTAIN MARK KYLLINGSTAD, L.A. COUNTY FIRE DPT.: It is, very busy.
KAGAN: First you were giving me a little information during the break about the helicopters that we see flying overhead.
KYLLINGSTAD: Right. That's a civilian version of a Black Hawk helicopter, it's the S-70 Black Hawk or Fire Hawk, as we call it. It has a thousand gallon water dumping capability. And it's one of the more modern pieces of fire equipment that we have in the fire service now.
KAGAN: What about the opportunity to fly today? How would you define or remark on the difference in weather conditions?
KYLLINGSTAD: These are great weather conditions from what we've been having for the last couple of days. The fire seems to be -- if you look at the smoke's going straight up. Very, very little wind. We should be able to make great progress on this fire today. I hope.
KAGAN: What kind of aerial assault will you expect in L.A. County?
KYLLINGSTAD: Everything. Helicopters, fixed wing, we have Super Scoopers out here also, and we are going to be throwing the toolbox at the fire today.
KAGAN: How frustrating has it been not being able to get those kind of tools up in the air up to this point?
KYLLINGSTAD: Well it's very frustrating from the aspect people are losing homes and everything else. And those are things we don't like to see. Those cut to the heart.
KAGAN: I just want to give our viewers a quick fire prevention lesson here. If you can describe what is taking place. You also were describing to me as we see the flare ups over our shoulders, from we're standing right here, not nothing to be concern concerned about. And actually you're saying that's a good thing for what you have done around this area.
KYLLINGSTAD: Yes, ma'am. First off, we really press hard for brush clearance and weed abatement.
KAGAN: And sorry -- I'm just going to interrupt you because -- is this the same chopper you are talking about?
KYLLINGSTAD: That's a Fire Hawk.
KAGAN: OK, as our viewers get a look at it if you can describe exactly what it is doing and how it is trying to fight the fire?
KYLLINGSTAD: OK, well he's got his targets back over behind you here now. He comes in, he'll make a sweep around, pick out his target. When he locks in on the target, he'll bank. OK, he's going up the hill on this aspect or on this little flare-up we have here.
KAGAN: He has 10,000 gallons of water on board?
KYLLINGSTAD: No, just a thousand gallons of water. And it's all computer operated and everything else. We can inject Class A Foam into the water and he'll make a banking turn and the doors will automatically open and dump a thousand gallons out and he'll go get some more water.
KAGAN: And you can't even compare that to fire fighting tools compared to getting your trucks up in there and men.
KYLLINGSTAD: To get personnel in there for one thing, it's a long hike, it's a long walk. And to get that kind of water on the fire up there, you can't do it.
KAGAN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) ask you a personal question, how long have you been fighting fires in this county?
KYLLINGSTAD: Twenty-four years.
KAGAN: And how would you compare what have you seen over the last five days?
KYLLINGSTAD: Well I'm an old camp guy. I ran hand crews. And this is some of the most intense fire behavior I've seen in the my 24 years.
KAGAN: And would you contribute it to the conditions and the dryness and people are -- I mean, L.A. County, this is stretched. And people are living in places they weren't living in 20 years ago.
KYLLINGSTAD: That's a very true statement. And the conditions we have been lining up for this for a lot of years. This area has not burned in the 24 yourself I've been a county fireman.
KAGAN: So it's in some way inevitable.
KYLLINGSTAD: Yes, it's cyclical. When the fire burned through here the last time it did a pretty hard job. But we didn't have the homes and all the ranches and all the businesses that we have in the area now too.
KAGAN: Captain, a lot of work to be done. We wish you well.
KYLLINGSTAD: Thank you very much.
KAGAN: Thanks for taking the time.
KYLLINGSTAD: You bet.
KAGAN: Good luck. Captain Mark Kyllingstad with the L.A. County Fire Department.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
