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CNN Live Sunday

Update on California Fires

Aired November 02, 2003 - 10:07   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.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And update now on those wildfires for you. Fire crews on the front lines in southern California are making headway in their battle against those huge wildfires that have ravaged the region. And today, another wave of people displaced by the flames are getting the go ahead to return to their homes to see if they're still there.
CNN's Bob Franken joins us live now from San Diego. And I guess, Bob, Mother Nature is finally being a little motherly to the people of southern California.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: After causing just such havoc in the week before that. And it's been a week since the fires ravaged the state of California in this area. To the north, as a matter of fact, Mother Nature is now providing some snow in the upper elevations. San Bernardino County, that particular area, Running Springs, has had snow.

There's been quite a about it of precipitation, quite a about it when you're speaking about what you would normally expect here. And of course, that is such a welcome relief and has provided the firefighters the chance to take the offensive against these blazes, which have wrecked such havoc in the state of California.

In San Diego County alone, at the Cedar fire, which is the largest wildfire in state history, 14 people were killed, including one firefighter. Over 2,200 homes were lost. You can see some of them in back of me in this affluent area of San Diego called Scripps Ranch. But the story about the state now is of cautious optimism.

If this weather continues to be positive weather, it's going to give the firefighters a chance to get ahead of them, to set up the fire lines, to control the fires. As a matter of fact, there's a hope here that in San Diego County 100 percent of the fires will be surrounded by tomorrow night. Then, in two weeks or so, they hopefully will have actually put out the fires.

And of course, that means the end of the fires, but the beginning of a recovery that's going to take a long time. As you can see, homes like this have been destroyed throughout the state. People are going to have to pick up the pieces, literally, and pick up the pieces of their lives again -- Carol.

COSTELLO: You know, I was just going to ask you if your photographer could pan off you so that we could see more of what's behind you because it looks pretty devastating. FRANKEN: It does. And of course, this is a neighborhood of multimillion dollar homes, but the fire plays no favorites. It came -- you can see the hills probably in back. It came -- they could see it from miles away.

It was so far away, as a matter of fact, many people left. They even went to church when this was starting to really come to its worst part on Sunday morning. And as the pastor was telling us earlier, the people in the church suddenly had their cell phones go off and they were told get home now.

And they would get to their houses and be told by police, pick up whatever you can in 30 seconds and get out. People had to flee for their lives. As I said, it was a harrowing experience.

COSTELLO: Boy, you're not kidding. It's just so strange to see that mailbox standing and the house is just gone. Really sad.

FRANKEN: Well, here's something interesting. Yesterday, Carol, the postman actually delivered mail here yesterday.

COSTELLO: Oh, come on.

FRANKEN: So -- I'm telling you. And the residents were happy to see him.

COSTELLO: Well, I guess that's wonderful. It's a bright spot because they have to come back and see what's left and to get their mail. Bob Franken reporting live from San Diego this morning.

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 November 2, 2003 - 10:07   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And update now on those wildfires for you. Fire crews on the front lines in southern California are making headway in their battle against those huge wildfires that have ravaged the region. And today, another wave of people displaced by the flames are getting the go ahead to return to their homes to see if they're still there.
CNN's Bob Franken joins us live now from San Diego. And I guess, Bob, Mother Nature is finally being a little motherly to the people of southern California.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: After causing just such havoc in the week before that. And it's been a week since the fires ravaged the state of California in this area. To the north, as a matter of fact, Mother Nature is now providing some snow in the upper elevations. San Bernardino County, that particular area, Running Springs, has had snow.

There's been quite a about it of precipitation, quite a about it when you're speaking about what you would normally expect here. And of course, that is such a welcome relief and has provided the firefighters the chance to take the offensive against these blazes, which have wrecked such havoc in the state of California.

In San Diego County alone, at the Cedar fire, which is the largest wildfire in state history, 14 people were killed, including one firefighter. Over 2,200 homes were lost. You can see some of them in back of me in this affluent area of San Diego called Scripps Ranch. But the story about the state now is of cautious optimism.

If this weather continues to be positive weather, it's going to give the firefighters a chance to get ahead of them, to set up the fire lines, to control the fires. As a matter of fact, there's a hope here that in San Diego County 100 percent of the fires will be surrounded by tomorrow night. Then, in two weeks or so, they hopefully will have actually put out the fires.

And of course, that means the end of the fires, but the beginning of a recovery that's going to take a long time. As you can see, homes like this have been destroyed throughout the state. People are going to have to pick up the pieces, literally, and pick up the pieces of their lives again -- Carol.

COSTELLO: You know, I was just going to ask you if your photographer could pan off you so that we could see more of what's behind you because it looks pretty devastating. FRANKEN: It does. And of course, this is a neighborhood of multimillion dollar homes, but the fire plays no favorites. It came -- you can see the hills probably in back. It came -- they could see it from miles away.

It was so far away, as a matter of fact, many people left. They even went to church when this was starting to really come to its worst part on Sunday morning. And as the pastor was telling us earlier, the people in the church suddenly had their cell phones go off and they were told get home now.

And they would get to their houses and be told by police, pick up whatever you can in 30 seconds and get out. People had to flee for their lives. As I said, it was a harrowing experience.

COSTELLO: Boy, you're not kidding. It's just so strange to see that mailbox standing and the house is just gone. Really sad.

FRANKEN: Well, here's something interesting. Yesterday, Carol, the postman actually delivered mail here yesterday.

COSTELLO: Oh, come on.

FRANKEN: So -- I'm telling you. And the residents were happy to see him.

COSTELLO: Well, I guess that's wonderful. It's a bright spot because they have to come back and see what's left and to get their mail. Bob Franken reporting live from San Diego this morning.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com