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American Morning

Ford Vehicle Fires; "Paging Dr. Gupta"

Aired June 17, 2005 - 08:30   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: An Aruban judge could decide today whether defense attorneys may see evidence gathered in the case of Natalee Holloway. The Alabama teenager has been missing since May 30th. Authorities say a helicopter search Thursday of waters off the island turned up nothing. Three young men suspected in the case remain in custody.
Oh, it was a bad day for the Goodyear Blimp. It aircraft crash landed in an industrial park in Coral Springs, Florida. The cause of the crash not immediately known, but authorities say thunderstorms might have forced it come down. The pilot was rescued safely. It's one of three Goodyear blimps based at the United States.

And guess what. I'm sure you heard by now. Tom Cruise has popped the question to actress Katie Holmes and she said yes. They're in Paris while he promotes his upcoming movie, "War of the Worlds." Cruise says he proposed early in the morning at the Eiffel Tower. And as might be expected, her ring is said to be humongous.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: You jealous?

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.

COSTELLO: Of the ring, maybe.

O'BRIEN: Well, duh. Of the ring, definitely.

COSTELLO: Just the ring. Nothing else.

O'BRIEN: She's said yes before. I mean, she's been engaged before, not that long ago, right?

COSTELLO: Oh. Chris Klein.

O'BRIEN: She was engaged to. Like, and they only broke up six months ago, a year ago?

HEMMER: Yes, but this is true love.

O'BRIEN: Oh, all right, sorry.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

O'BRIEN: My bad.

COSTELLO: Your bad, gee.

O'BRIEN: What's wrong with me?

COSTELLO: What are you thinking?

O'BRIEN: Lordy.

HEMMER: 32 minutes now past the hour.

Imagine the scenario for a moment here. Your car is turned off, it's parked. And suddenly, with no one around, it bursts into flames. That's exactly what's happening to some Ford vehicles built before the year 2004. Just this week, one family filed a wrongful death suit over a fire that family members say started in a 1996 F-150 pickup parked in the garage attached to their home in Iowa. That fire killed 74-year-old Darletta Morles (ph) and injured her 76-year-old husband.

Investigators for Ford and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration spent hours earlier this week poking through the rubble of that home. NHTSA had no comment on its findings, but Ford specifically denied the fire was caused by the truck. But Ford does admit it it has a problem with some of vehicles catching fire when parked and turned off. Ford has already recalled more than a million of its cars, trucks and SUVs and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration saying it's now investigating nearly four million more vehicles for the same problem.

Now, CNN investigate correspondent Drew Griffin has uncovered new information on just how many more Ford vehicles may be at risk.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Fire rescue. What is your emergency?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please, my house is exploded. Something in my car -- my house is on fire.

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A frantic call to 911 at 5:00 in the morning.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my gosh.

GRIFFIN: A mother in a panic. Her 15-year-old daughter's bedroom wall is in flames.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My house is on fire! Please!

GRIFFIN: She makes several more calls to 911 before fire trucks arrive. Within minutes, the fire burned down the Kissimmee, Florida house of Nestor Oyola and his wife Laura leaving their daughter Rotsenmary scarred.

ROTSENMARY OYOLA, HOUSE BURNED DOWN: It's difficult. But you know, we have to accept it.

GRIFFIN: So what went wrong? What could have possibly caused this much destruction?

NESTOR OYOLA, FATHER (through translator): I bought the car on Monday and Wednesday it burned everything.

GRIFFIN: The insurance investigation showed the 2001 Ford Expedition Nestor just bought his wife caught fire while it was parked and turned off in the garage. Ken and Michelle Whelpley of Winterhaven, Florida had a similar experience.

KEN WHELPLEY, TRUCK CAUGHT FIRE: How do you park a vehicle, go to bed, sleep all night, and then in the morning, it's on fire?

GRIFFIN: It sounds unusual, but CNN has learned fires like this have occurred all across the country. A neighbor took this picture of the Whelpley's truck.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Flames were shooting all the way up to the top of the garage. I couldn't believe it. I mean, just could not believe it.

GRIFFIN: In Orlando, a used car dealer surveillance camera caught this car bursting into flames. It had been parked overnight.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just come in the morning like a regular day and I see a car all burnt up. I'm like, what the -- it was a shock. I didn't know what to do. I lost all the money.

GRIFFIN: And with many of the cars and trucks sitting in garages, houses are being burned down, too.

WHELPLEY: What if we'd have died in this mess?

GRIFFIN: Four investigations by the National Traffic Highway Safety Administration have compiled 559 reports of Ford fires. And those investigations are focusing on one part under the hood.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sometimes when we're digging through this, we find the remains that failed.

GRIFFIN: Harvey Michel (ph) is a fire investigator and says he's seen about 30 of these Ford cases in just the last year.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tire damage is more severe on top.

GRIFFIN: We asked him to look at the Whelpleys burned, 2000 Ford F-150 pickup. Within 30 minutes, he finds what he says is the cause.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here's the part. That is typical of the failure of the switch.

GRIFFIN: It's the cruise, or speed control deactivation switch. This is what several fire investigators hired by major insurance companies and auto engineers consulted by CNN say is causing the cars and trucks to ignite.

How? The pressure switch disconnects the cruise control when the driver steps firmly on the brake. That switch is attached to the brake master cylinder on one end and wired to the cruise control on the other. Ford designed the switch to be powered, or hot at all times even when the vehicle is off and the key is out of the ignition. What separates the electrical components from the brake fluid inside the switch is a thin film barrier. Investigators say the film can crack allowing droplets of brake fluid to come in contact with the hot electrical components, sometimes, say investigators causing a fire.

And those fires can happen whether the vehicle is moving or even parked with the engine off. Firefighters in Deltona, Florida, say you can see it happen in this video. A firefighter was changing a fuse when he noticed the switch in his 1995 F-250 begin to smoke. A co- worker grabbed a video camera.

CHRIS NABICHT, DELTONA CHIEF FIRE MARSHAL: Had we allowed it to continue it would have burst into flames and it would have consumed the vehicle.

GRIFFIN: Chris Nabicht is chief fire marshal for the city of Deltona. He says he's seen at least a half a dozen similar Ford fires.

NABICHT: The concern for people's lives and how fast this can occur, whether you're in the vehicle or not in the vehicle, is kind of scary.

GRIFFIN: Houston attorney Mike Jolly agrees. He represents clients whose vehicles have caught fire while parked.

MIKE JOLLY, ATTORNEY: There's no reason to wire the switch hot because you don't need to turn off the cruise control when the car is stopped and turned off and parked in your garage.

GRIFFIN: Five different auto engineers tell CNN the design is unique to Ford. And Ford has responded to the fires by issuing two separate recalls. The first in 1999 recalled nearly 300,000 Crown Victorias, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Cars.

Then, just this past January, Ford issued a second, larger recall 792,000 vehicles, including 2001 F-Series Super Crews, and 2000 Expeditions, Navigators and top selling F-150 pickups.

(on camera): Beyond those recalls, the federal government is investigating an additional 3.7 million Ford vehicles for the same problem. Now CNN has obtained this Ford document, which the company handed over to federal investigators. It shows a total of 16 million Ford cars and trucks have been built with what the company acknowledges is the same or similar switch.

(voice-over): The list includes recalled and non-recalled Expeditions, Explorers, F-Series pickups, Crown Victorias, Town Cars and Grand Marquis, some as early as 1992 and as recent at 2003. Also included are thousands of Tauruses, Econoline vans, Rangers and Windstars.

Ford declined our requests for an on camera interview. But in a statement to CNN, Ford says its records show the risk of fire differs for make, model and year. They say, quote, "it's important to understand that all speed control systems are not identical in Ford vehicles. In those populations with an increasing fire report rate, we stopped using the switch through the recall process. The switch has performed well in many models for many years."

Nearly half of those 559 Ford fires reported to the government safety agency as originating in the cruise control switch were in cars and trucks from model years not recalled. That includes the Expeditions owned by the Oyolas and that Orlando car dealer.

NABICHT: They've taken the step by recalling certain models of vehicles. I think the recall probably needs to be much broader than what it is.

GRIFFIN: Ford's response to that? "We have been asked why we have not expanded the recall. The last thing we want to do is make an important safety decision on incorrect or incomplete information."

So what does Ford say is the reason the switch catches fire? Again, Ford wouldn't agree to be interviewed for this report. But this is what the company told us in an e-mail.

"We have not determined at this time that there is a defect with the switch. But for reasons we still do not understand, the switch is failing. And we are trying to understand why."

Ford says it's cooperating with a federal investigation into the fires. As for the switch, Ford has stopped using it. And is now using a new switch as of the 2004 model year. In the meantime, the Oyolas who made that desperate 911 call when their non-recalled SUV caught fire, are left to pick up their lives.

LAURA HERNANDEZ, HOUSE BURNED DOWN (through translator): Here, there is nothing to replace, nothing. I was left with nothing.

GRIFFIN: Firefighters found the family cat burned to death in this corner.

This is where Laura's daughter Rotsenmary dialed 911. As the Expedition was burning in the garage just a few feet away, she escaped with burns to her legs.

For Nestor Oyola, as a father, it's hard to talk about it. The night before the fire, he moved his wife's Expedition in the garage, hoping to keep it safe. He says he'll never forget it.

Drew Griffin, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: If you have questions about switches in your Ford, log onto CNN.com and click on the Q & A link below that story.

As for the wrongful death suit filed over the fire that started in home in Iowa, Ford responded to the death by quote, "Unfortunately, fires happen every year in all makes and models of all manufacturers for a number of reasons, including faulty repair, improper modification to the vehicle after market parts and wiring, prior accident damage and even arson."

Also NHTSA, that's the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, telling CNN it requested information on the 16 million vehicles with the switch and it is keeping an eye on them.

We'll get a break. We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: It's one of life's most memorable moments and many parents want to capture the birth of their child on tape. But in the final part of special series "Just for Dad," Dr. Sanjay Gupta tells us why more hospitals are banning cameras from the delivery room.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Michael Galindo works as a photographer, so when his son Jonah was born a month ago, he and his wife knew well in advance they wanted to videotape the event.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was wonderful to see the videotape after, just to go back and relive a little bit of the experience.

GUPTA: Lucky for them, the hospital they went to allowed it. Michael says it would have been a red flag to him if they said no.

MICHAEL GALINDO, NEW DAD: Knowing that staff would not want to have pictures or videotape taken, I would be concerned about the level of care. That would have been brought up.

GUPTA: But increasingly, many hospitals around the country are banning the practice, concerned over liability that the videotape could be used against doctors if something goes wrong. Some hospitals let the doctors decide if they want to allow it. Most who do allow it say the parents must agree to certain perimeters in advance.

RENE ZELKIN, INVOVA FAIRFAX HOSPITAL: If there's any complications or the physician requested, it would be turned off.

GUPTA: In fact, every doctor we talked to said if complications arise, they will ask the parents to stop taping so they can tend to the medical needs of the mother and baby without any distraction.

GALINDO: It took a little common sense on daddy's part, realizing that the doctors have to do what they need to do and the baby's health and mother's health comes first. And if you can understand that balance, it can be a beautiful combination.

GUPTA: None of the hospitals we talked to that have banned the practice would talk to us about it on camera. The Galindo's baby was born at Holy Cross Hospital outside Washington, D.C. That hospital still allows parents to videotape their delivery, but doctors there understand why some of their colleagues elsewhere are banning it. DR. MARY HEATHER SINE, HOLY CROSS HOSPITAL: We don't appreciate having that extra pressure on us. We don't want to have to worry about who is in the way, if the camera is in the way when we're focusing on the patient.

GUPTA: The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has no official position on the issue, but say doctors and patients should come to an agreement before the big day. The American Medical Association does not have an official stance, either, and wouldn't comment to this story. But its president, an obstetrician, has said he banned the practice with his patients.

Michael Galindo says having that video of Jonah's birth is something they will treasure forever.

GALINDO: One of the greatest pictures I got was when the baby and mom exchanged first glances. And those kinds of photos are priceless.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: One case that is sometimes cited is that of a Texas family that was awarded $15 million in a hospital negligence suit which was brought after their baby was born blind and brain-damaged. A videotape of the birth was used as evidence in the case. After that, the hospital banned all videotaping of birth there and other hospitals followed suit -- Bill.

HEMMER: Eleven minutes now before the hour. In a moment here, real estate appraisers under scrutiny about the feds. How accurately are they reviewing your home? What every homeowner should know, ahead here, after the break on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone. Eight minutes before the hour.

Talking real estate right now and one interesting effect on the housing boom. homeowners, the buyers, even the government, taking a much closer look of the accuracy of real estate appraisals. A lot of these places across the country are in unknown territory on the financial side for the price tag.

Gerri Willis is working for Andy Serwer this week, "Minding Your Business." Good morning again to you.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. Good to see you, Bill.

HEMMER: Let's get to your tips, first of all. You say know the process. What's the process?

WILLIS: Well, a lot of people don't even pay any attention to the appraiser, right? It's easy to miss it if you're buying a home, you're trying to get your family into it. But the appraiser is the person who makes sure that the amount of money you're paying for a house is the right amount. They're going to make sure that the collateral for the bank is safe, right?

But understand that there's a lot of pressure in this industry right now. And the kind of analysis they do -- they look inside, they look outside, they look around the neighborhood -- could be compromised.

HEMMER: Tip number two, proceed with caution. In what way?

WILLIS: Well, here's the problem. There's a lot of pressure on appraisers right now to have some of those inflated values go through. You know, bids are high right now. Prices are going higher and higher all the time. And they say that real estate agents, mortgage bankers, are putting pressure on their industry to sign up on those higher costs, those higher prices.

HEMMER: But, ultimately, you really don't even know that answer as you're going through the process, right?

WILLIS: It's difficult. You know, here's the deal. The lender hires the appraiser. You don't. You don't have control over that appraiser.

HEMMER: All right. You say get a reputable agent. I think that's key. How do you know he's got a good reputation?

WILLIS: Well, you need an experienced agent who's been in the business a number of years and has seen the market turn over a number of times. The problem right now is we've had so many new agents get into the business, they've never seen a down turn.

HEMMER: Compromise your goals. I don't like that. What are you talking about?

WILLIS: Well, you know, everybody thinks, I've absolutely got to be in neighborhood X, right? I must be on this street or that street. Look, in this market, with prices where they are, you may have to decide to live in a neighborhood that's a little less expensive.

HEMMER: Peel it back a little bit, huh?

WILLIS: Yes.

HEMMER: Next tip, not all lenders are created equal. That goes back to the reputation point.

WILLIS: That's absolutely right. You know, red hot market. We've seen a lot of people get into the business of underwriting mortgages who maybe shouldn't. So you want to make sure you're working with a bank and a mortgage broker who's been in the business a long time.

HEMMER: And good tips. More this weekend on your show? WILLIS: You bet. 9:30 a.m. Eastern, "Open House." We'll talk more about appraisers. And guess what? We've got some advice on how to grow your own vegetable garden, if you ever thought about that.

HEMMER: Oh yes. Once you get that home done and get the appraisal out the way, right?

WILLIS: That's right.

HEMMER: 9:30 a.m. Eastern time, CNN Saturday morning. Thanks, Gerri.

WILLIS: Thank you.

HEMMER: Have a good weekend. See you next hour.

WILLIS: That's right.

HEMMER: OK, here's Soledad.

O'BRIEN: One of the most popular stories that is running on our Web site, CNN.com, right now, a dubious distinction. Two cities lead the nation in pot smoking. A government survey found that more people report marijuana use in Boston and Boulder, Colorado. The poll takers were not surprised, due to the large populations of college students, they say, in each city. Northwestern, Iowa and southern Texas had the lowest reported use.

Our top story is straight ahead this morning. Two earthquakes rattling California in span of just nine hours. What's behind it? We're live from California, coming up next on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Good morning. An overnight aftershock shaking California. Four quakes in a week, in a rare earthquake cluster. We'll get a live report on what's happening today there.

Caught on tape. A Goodyear blimp goes down in a Florida thunderstorm, crashing in the power lines and buildings, two people trapped inside.

And this...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: Yes, I proposed to Kate last night.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Tom Cruise pops the question in Paris, Katie Holmes says yes. There are wedding bells on this AMERICAN 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 June 17, 2005 - 08:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: An Aruban judge could decide today whether defense attorneys may see evidence gathered in the case of Natalee Holloway. The Alabama teenager has been missing since May 30th. Authorities say a helicopter search Thursday of waters off the island turned up nothing. Three young men suspected in the case remain in custody.
Oh, it was a bad day for the Goodyear Blimp. It aircraft crash landed in an industrial park in Coral Springs, Florida. The cause of the crash not immediately known, but authorities say thunderstorms might have forced it come down. The pilot was rescued safely. It's one of three Goodyear blimps based at the United States.

And guess what. I'm sure you heard by now. Tom Cruise has popped the question to actress Katie Holmes and she said yes. They're in Paris while he promotes his upcoming movie, "War of the Worlds." Cruise says he proposed early in the morning at the Eiffel Tower. And as might be expected, her ring is said to be humongous.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: You jealous?

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.

COSTELLO: Of the ring, maybe.

O'BRIEN: Well, duh. Of the ring, definitely.

COSTELLO: Just the ring. Nothing else.

O'BRIEN: She's said yes before. I mean, she's been engaged before, not that long ago, right?

COSTELLO: Oh. Chris Klein.

O'BRIEN: She was engaged to. Like, and they only broke up six months ago, a year ago?

HEMMER: Yes, but this is true love.

O'BRIEN: Oh, all right, sorry.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

O'BRIEN: My bad.

COSTELLO: Your bad, gee.

O'BRIEN: What's wrong with me?

COSTELLO: What are you thinking?

O'BRIEN: Lordy.

HEMMER: 32 minutes now past the hour.

Imagine the scenario for a moment here. Your car is turned off, it's parked. And suddenly, with no one around, it bursts into flames. That's exactly what's happening to some Ford vehicles built before the year 2004. Just this week, one family filed a wrongful death suit over a fire that family members say started in a 1996 F-150 pickup parked in the garage attached to their home in Iowa. That fire killed 74-year-old Darletta Morles (ph) and injured her 76-year-old husband.

Investigators for Ford and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration spent hours earlier this week poking through the rubble of that home. NHTSA had no comment on its findings, but Ford specifically denied the fire was caused by the truck. But Ford does admit it it has a problem with some of vehicles catching fire when parked and turned off. Ford has already recalled more than a million of its cars, trucks and SUVs and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration saying it's now investigating nearly four million more vehicles for the same problem.

Now, CNN investigate correspondent Drew Griffin has uncovered new information on just how many more Ford vehicles may be at risk.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Fire rescue. What is your emergency?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please, my house is exploded. Something in my car -- my house is on fire.

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A frantic call to 911 at 5:00 in the morning.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my gosh.

GRIFFIN: A mother in a panic. Her 15-year-old daughter's bedroom wall is in flames.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My house is on fire! Please!

GRIFFIN: She makes several more calls to 911 before fire trucks arrive. Within minutes, the fire burned down the Kissimmee, Florida house of Nestor Oyola and his wife Laura leaving their daughter Rotsenmary scarred.

ROTSENMARY OYOLA, HOUSE BURNED DOWN: It's difficult. But you know, we have to accept it.

GRIFFIN: So what went wrong? What could have possibly caused this much destruction?

NESTOR OYOLA, FATHER (through translator): I bought the car on Monday and Wednesday it burned everything.

GRIFFIN: The insurance investigation showed the 2001 Ford Expedition Nestor just bought his wife caught fire while it was parked and turned off in the garage. Ken and Michelle Whelpley of Winterhaven, Florida had a similar experience.

KEN WHELPLEY, TRUCK CAUGHT FIRE: How do you park a vehicle, go to bed, sleep all night, and then in the morning, it's on fire?

GRIFFIN: It sounds unusual, but CNN has learned fires like this have occurred all across the country. A neighbor took this picture of the Whelpley's truck.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Flames were shooting all the way up to the top of the garage. I couldn't believe it. I mean, just could not believe it.

GRIFFIN: In Orlando, a used car dealer surveillance camera caught this car bursting into flames. It had been parked overnight.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just come in the morning like a regular day and I see a car all burnt up. I'm like, what the -- it was a shock. I didn't know what to do. I lost all the money.

GRIFFIN: And with many of the cars and trucks sitting in garages, houses are being burned down, too.

WHELPLEY: What if we'd have died in this mess?

GRIFFIN: Four investigations by the National Traffic Highway Safety Administration have compiled 559 reports of Ford fires. And those investigations are focusing on one part under the hood.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sometimes when we're digging through this, we find the remains that failed.

GRIFFIN: Harvey Michel (ph) is a fire investigator and says he's seen about 30 of these Ford cases in just the last year.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tire damage is more severe on top.

GRIFFIN: We asked him to look at the Whelpleys burned, 2000 Ford F-150 pickup. Within 30 minutes, he finds what he says is the cause.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here's the part. That is typical of the failure of the switch.

GRIFFIN: It's the cruise, or speed control deactivation switch. This is what several fire investigators hired by major insurance companies and auto engineers consulted by CNN say is causing the cars and trucks to ignite.

How? The pressure switch disconnects the cruise control when the driver steps firmly on the brake. That switch is attached to the brake master cylinder on one end and wired to the cruise control on the other. Ford designed the switch to be powered, or hot at all times even when the vehicle is off and the key is out of the ignition. What separates the electrical components from the brake fluid inside the switch is a thin film barrier. Investigators say the film can crack allowing droplets of brake fluid to come in contact with the hot electrical components, sometimes, say investigators causing a fire.

And those fires can happen whether the vehicle is moving or even parked with the engine off. Firefighters in Deltona, Florida, say you can see it happen in this video. A firefighter was changing a fuse when he noticed the switch in his 1995 F-250 begin to smoke. A co- worker grabbed a video camera.

CHRIS NABICHT, DELTONA CHIEF FIRE MARSHAL: Had we allowed it to continue it would have burst into flames and it would have consumed the vehicle.

GRIFFIN: Chris Nabicht is chief fire marshal for the city of Deltona. He says he's seen at least a half a dozen similar Ford fires.

NABICHT: The concern for people's lives and how fast this can occur, whether you're in the vehicle or not in the vehicle, is kind of scary.

GRIFFIN: Houston attorney Mike Jolly agrees. He represents clients whose vehicles have caught fire while parked.

MIKE JOLLY, ATTORNEY: There's no reason to wire the switch hot because you don't need to turn off the cruise control when the car is stopped and turned off and parked in your garage.

GRIFFIN: Five different auto engineers tell CNN the design is unique to Ford. And Ford has responded to the fires by issuing two separate recalls. The first in 1999 recalled nearly 300,000 Crown Victorias, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Cars.

Then, just this past January, Ford issued a second, larger recall 792,000 vehicles, including 2001 F-Series Super Crews, and 2000 Expeditions, Navigators and top selling F-150 pickups.

(on camera): Beyond those recalls, the federal government is investigating an additional 3.7 million Ford vehicles for the same problem. Now CNN has obtained this Ford document, which the company handed over to federal investigators. It shows a total of 16 million Ford cars and trucks have been built with what the company acknowledges is the same or similar switch.

(voice-over): The list includes recalled and non-recalled Expeditions, Explorers, F-Series pickups, Crown Victorias, Town Cars and Grand Marquis, some as early as 1992 and as recent at 2003. Also included are thousands of Tauruses, Econoline vans, Rangers and Windstars.

Ford declined our requests for an on camera interview. But in a statement to CNN, Ford says its records show the risk of fire differs for make, model and year. They say, quote, "it's important to understand that all speed control systems are not identical in Ford vehicles. In those populations with an increasing fire report rate, we stopped using the switch through the recall process. The switch has performed well in many models for many years."

Nearly half of those 559 Ford fires reported to the government safety agency as originating in the cruise control switch were in cars and trucks from model years not recalled. That includes the Expeditions owned by the Oyolas and that Orlando car dealer.

NABICHT: They've taken the step by recalling certain models of vehicles. I think the recall probably needs to be much broader than what it is.

GRIFFIN: Ford's response to that? "We have been asked why we have not expanded the recall. The last thing we want to do is make an important safety decision on incorrect or incomplete information."

So what does Ford say is the reason the switch catches fire? Again, Ford wouldn't agree to be interviewed for this report. But this is what the company told us in an e-mail.

"We have not determined at this time that there is a defect with the switch. But for reasons we still do not understand, the switch is failing. And we are trying to understand why."

Ford says it's cooperating with a federal investigation into the fires. As for the switch, Ford has stopped using it. And is now using a new switch as of the 2004 model year. In the meantime, the Oyolas who made that desperate 911 call when their non-recalled SUV caught fire, are left to pick up their lives.

LAURA HERNANDEZ, HOUSE BURNED DOWN (through translator): Here, there is nothing to replace, nothing. I was left with nothing.

GRIFFIN: Firefighters found the family cat burned to death in this corner.

This is where Laura's daughter Rotsenmary dialed 911. As the Expedition was burning in the garage just a few feet away, she escaped with burns to her legs.

For Nestor Oyola, as a father, it's hard to talk about it. The night before the fire, he moved his wife's Expedition in the garage, hoping to keep it safe. He says he'll never forget it.

Drew Griffin, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: If you have questions about switches in your Ford, log onto CNN.com and click on the Q & A link below that story.

As for the wrongful death suit filed over the fire that started in home in Iowa, Ford responded to the death by quote, "Unfortunately, fires happen every year in all makes and models of all manufacturers for a number of reasons, including faulty repair, improper modification to the vehicle after market parts and wiring, prior accident damage and even arson."

Also NHTSA, that's the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, telling CNN it requested information on the 16 million vehicles with the switch and it is keeping an eye on them.

We'll get a break. We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: It's one of life's most memorable moments and many parents want to capture the birth of their child on tape. But in the final part of special series "Just for Dad," Dr. Sanjay Gupta tells us why more hospitals are banning cameras from the delivery room.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Michael Galindo works as a photographer, so when his son Jonah was born a month ago, he and his wife knew well in advance they wanted to videotape the event.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was wonderful to see the videotape after, just to go back and relive a little bit of the experience.

GUPTA: Lucky for them, the hospital they went to allowed it. Michael says it would have been a red flag to him if they said no.

MICHAEL GALINDO, NEW DAD: Knowing that staff would not want to have pictures or videotape taken, I would be concerned about the level of care. That would have been brought up.

GUPTA: But increasingly, many hospitals around the country are banning the practice, concerned over liability that the videotape could be used against doctors if something goes wrong. Some hospitals let the doctors decide if they want to allow it. Most who do allow it say the parents must agree to certain perimeters in advance.

RENE ZELKIN, INVOVA FAIRFAX HOSPITAL: If there's any complications or the physician requested, it would be turned off.

GUPTA: In fact, every doctor we talked to said if complications arise, they will ask the parents to stop taping so they can tend to the medical needs of the mother and baby without any distraction.

GALINDO: It took a little common sense on daddy's part, realizing that the doctors have to do what they need to do and the baby's health and mother's health comes first. And if you can understand that balance, it can be a beautiful combination.

GUPTA: None of the hospitals we talked to that have banned the practice would talk to us about it on camera. The Galindo's baby was born at Holy Cross Hospital outside Washington, D.C. That hospital still allows parents to videotape their delivery, but doctors there understand why some of their colleagues elsewhere are banning it. DR. MARY HEATHER SINE, HOLY CROSS HOSPITAL: We don't appreciate having that extra pressure on us. We don't want to have to worry about who is in the way, if the camera is in the way when we're focusing on the patient.

GUPTA: The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has no official position on the issue, but say doctors and patients should come to an agreement before the big day. The American Medical Association does not have an official stance, either, and wouldn't comment to this story. But its president, an obstetrician, has said he banned the practice with his patients.

Michael Galindo says having that video of Jonah's birth is something they will treasure forever.

GALINDO: One of the greatest pictures I got was when the baby and mom exchanged first glances. And those kinds of photos are priceless.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

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O'BRIEN: One case that is sometimes cited is that of a Texas family that was awarded $15 million in a hospital negligence suit which was brought after their baby was born blind and brain-damaged. A videotape of the birth was used as evidence in the case. After that, the hospital banned all videotaping of birth there and other hospitals followed suit -- Bill.

HEMMER: Eleven minutes now before the hour. In a moment here, real estate appraisers under scrutiny about the feds. How accurately are they reviewing your home? What every homeowner should know, ahead here, after the break on AMERICAN MORNING.

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HEMMER: Welcome back, everyone. Eight minutes before the hour.

Talking real estate right now and one interesting effect on the housing boom. homeowners, the buyers, even the government, taking a much closer look of the accuracy of real estate appraisals. A lot of these places across the country are in unknown territory on the financial side for the price tag.

Gerri Willis is working for Andy Serwer this week, "Minding Your Business." Good morning again to you.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. Good to see you, Bill.

HEMMER: Let's get to your tips, first of all. You say know the process. What's the process?

WILLIS: Well, a lot of people don't even pay any attention to the appraiser, right? It's easy to miss it if you're buying a home, you're trying to get your family into it. But the appraiser is the person who makes sure that the amount of money you're paying for a house is the right amount. They're going to make sure that the collateral for the bank is safe, right?

But understand that there's a lot of pressure in this industry right now. And the kind of analysis they do -- they look inside, they look outside, they look around the neighborhood -- could be compromised.

HEMMER: Tip number two, proceed with caution. In what way?

WILLIS: Well, here's the problem. There's a lot of pressure on appraisers right now to have some of those inflated values go through. You know, bids are high right now. Prices are going higher and higher all the time. And they say that real estate agents, mortgage bankers, are putting pressure on their industry to sign up on those higher costs, those higher prices.

HEMMER: But, ultimately, you really don't even know that answer as you're going through the process, right?

WILLIS: It's difficult. You know, here's the deal. The lender hires the appraiser. You don't. You don't have control over that appraiser.

HEMMER: All right. You say get a reputable agent. I think that's key. How do you know he's got a good reputation?

WILLIS: Well, you need an experienced agent who's been in the business a number of years and has seen the market turn over a number of times. The problem right now is we've had so many new agents get into the business, they've never seen a down turn.

HEMMER: Compromise your goals. I don't like that. What are you talking about?

WILLIS: Well, you know, everybody thinks, I've absolutely got to be in neighborhood X, right? I must be on this street or that street. Look, in this market, with prices where they are, you may have to decide to live in a neighborhood that's a little less expensive.

HEMMER: Peel it back a little bit, huh?

WILLIS: Yes.

HEMMER: Next tip, not all lenders are created equal. That goes back to the reputation point.

WILLIS: That's absolutely right. You know, red hot market. We've seen a lot of people get into the business of underwriting mortgages who maybe shouldn't. So you want to make sure you're working with a bank and a mortgage broker who's been in the business a long time.

HEMMER: And good tips. More this weekend on your show? WILLIS: You bet. 9:30 a.m. Eastern, "Open House." We'll talk more about appraisers. And guess what? We've got some advice on how to grow your own vegetable garden, if you ever thought about that.

HEMMER: Oh yes. Once you get that home done and get the appraisal out the way, right?

WILLIS: That's right.

HEMMER: 9:30 a.m. Eastern time, CNN Saturday morning. Thanks, Gerri.

WILLIS: Thank you.

HEMMER: Have a good weekend. See you next hour.

WILLIS: That's right.

HEMMER: OK, here's Soledad.

O'BRIEN: One of the most popular stories that is running on our Web site, CNN.com, right now, a dubious distinction. Two cities lead the nation in pot smoking. A government survey found that more people report marijuana use in Boston and Boulder, Colorado. The poll takers were not surprised, due to the large populations of college students, they say, in each city. Northwestern, Iowa and southern Texas had the lowest reported use.

Our top story is straight ahead this morning. Two earthquakes rattling California in span of just nine hours. What's behind it? We're live from California, coming up next on AMERICAN MORNING.

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HEMMER: Good morning. An overnight aftershock shaking California. Four quakes in a week, in a rare earthquake cluster. We'll get a live report on what's happening today there.

Caught on tape. A Goodyear blimp goes down in a Florida thunderstorm, crashing in the power lines and buildings, two people trapped inside.

And this...

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TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: Yes, I proposed to Kate last night.

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HEMMER: Tom Cruise pops the question in Paris, Katie Holmes says yes. There are wedding bells on this AMERICAN MORNING.

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