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California Burning: 9 Wildfires Still Not Contained; Breathing Toxic Air; Fires: Protecting Pets; Mike Gravel Only Democrat Stumping at Florida State Part Convention

Aired October 27, 2007 - 10:00   ET

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

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: California fires. There is a new lead in the arson investigation. It has to do with a white pickup truck.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We think that the children just somehow must have gotten a hold of the parents' cocaine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Did you hear that? Yes, four children test positive for cocaine. This morning, the parents are in jail.

From the CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM. It is Saturday, October 27th.

Good morning, everybody.

I'm Betty Nguyen. T.J. Holmes is off today, but we're in good hands with Reynolds Wolf.

And I just heard you coughing there. You're in Rancho Bernardo, and the air there isn't so fit for people to be just breathing it in like it was another Saturday morning. It's very different today.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Oh, you're absolutely right.

You know, it's funny. As you go back just a week ago, people were waking up this time in Rancho Bernardo and the air, obviously, was much cleaner. There was that threat of fires, but really not a whole lot of activity at that point.

This morning, though, Betty, you are right, the air is very difficult to breathe. We've had actually one fire a few blocks over that has since been put out. But there's still a lot of work to be done here in this area, no question about it.

And coming up, we're going to speak to some of the brave firefighters in mere moments.

NGUYEN: Yes, they've been on the front lines working very hard.

You also know, Reynolds, that many people in southern California are still in danger this morning. At least nine major wildfires not yet contained. As the Santa Ana winds do pick up today, well, a lot more homes could be lost.

Adding to the urgency, a desperate hunt for a suspected arsonist believed to have started the Santiago Fire last Sunday. Officials say a white Ford pickup truck like this one right here was spotted near the site where the blaze began last Sunday. Officials are anxiously looking for the tip that could break the case.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF CHIP PRATHER, ORANGE COUNTY FIRE AUTHORITY: We have the arson tip line that's out there. Thus far, we've had over 700 calls to that line, and we're tracking those tips down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Those tips led to the search for a vehicle like this. Now, it is a white Ford F-150 pickup truck with chrome tube running boards. The model year is 1998-2004. A $250,000 reward has been posted for anyone who can help solve this case.

I want to get you the latest now, the latest video from the fire. Look at this.

As you can see, it is going very strong, now covering about 27,000 acres. And it's only partly contained. Predicted to spread north and east, so they're going to have big problems on their hands today.

Also, American spy planes are getting into the act because they are actually being used to help keep an eye on these fires. Look at this. CNN is the first to bring you these pictures.

They show you the scope of the fires. All of those lights are flames. And take a look at this image. It shows the massive amount of smoke billowing from the fires.

I think we had those flipped there, but you can see all those white spots. And this particular image is where there were flare-ups in the fires, those little hot spots. And it just really gives us a remarkable view of how these fires have spread, and quickly, and how much land it has covered.

Well, our Reynolds Wolf is in Rancho Bernardo this morning with a fire official.

Reynolds, tell us what they are looking at there on the ground where you are.

WOLF: Just another day of going head to head, battling that blaze all over the area. It is going to be just a brutal time for them.

You know, it's a frustrating thing, I know. You have these fires. They pop up all over. You have got so many things that are working against them in terms of the weather. It's just -- it's really a difficult thing. And you really have to take your hats off to these men and women that are out there on the lines working as hard as they can to keep their fellow man safe.

This morning we are lucky enough to have Kevin McWalters with us. He is a San Diego fire captain.

You're a captain. And how long have you been doing this?

CAPT. KEVIN MCWALTERS, SAN DIEGO FIRE-RESCUE: This is my 25th year.

WOLF: OK. So in your 25 years of doing this, a quarter of a century, how does this fire compare with others you've covered?

MCWALTERS: Well, in the sense of the firestorm activity, the way that the fire came through with the wind and the zero visibility, by far for me personally engaged here was the worst I've ever been involved with.

WOLF: Good gosh almighty. And how many people are you working with that are under your direction right now?

MCWALTERS: I'm the safety officer for the incident right now. We're kind of pared down as the fire went through and the threat to the citizens and the property here has kind of just decreased a little bit. Right now probably about 40 or 50.

WOLF: I see. And how are they holding up?

MCWALTERS: They are doing good. Obviously, there's folks that are -- you know, have been putting in long hours and long shifts. We're starting to rotate crews a little bit more so they are getting home to, you know, see their families, and a lot of firefighters were evacuated early on and, unfortunately, some of our folks did lose their homes.

WOLF: Now, what about you? Have you been -- were you evacuated?

MCWALTERS: Yes, my wife and daughter were evacuated for about three days. And, you know, it's touch and go.

You are out fighting the fire. You are engaged. You're not thinking so much about that as you would regularly if you were at normal work. But everything was fine, and luckily my house was not damaged.

MCWALTERS: You know, when you guys go through this training, I know you know how to use the hoses, what parts of the fire to really attack. You use the axes. You have all this training on what to do physically.

How do you handle this mentally? When you see people's families, when their homes have just been destroyed by these fires, how do you cope with that? How do you cope with the immense loss that these people are dealing with? MCWALTERS: That's the hardest part of this, is that, you know, we're tasked on a daily basis to, you know, protect property, to save lives. And in a firestorm, you know, like this, you are going to lose homes, unfortunately.

But it's just very difficult at the end of the day to, you know, see the loss of folks -- fatalities, firefighter injuries -- and to come by and see families sifting through their belongings in the house. It's very difficult. And for all firefighters throughout southern California, our hearts go out to all the folks that suffered a loss in these events.

WOLF: It could be far worse if it wasn't for you guys.

MCWALTERS: Well, thank you. Appreciate it.

WOLF: So, again, thank you so much for your time. And please be careful out there. Not just you, but all your men and women that are doing it.

It is an amazing thing to see, the bravery of these firefighters out there, trying to do everything they can to protect these neighborhoods, to protect their relatives, their friends, their families. It's an amazing, touching thing. And it's not over. It's not over.

I don't want to give anyone that sense that we're completely over with this. There are still fires that are burning as we speak. As I mentioned, we had one flare-up just less than a half-mile from where we stand. So it is a battle that is no doubt ongoing.

Back to you.

NGUYEN: You know, and just to give you a scope of it, of the 23 fires that are burning or were burning, only 14 have been contained. So that means nine are still flaring at this hour.

And we'll keep a watch on all of it.

Thank you for that, Reynolds.

WOLF: You bet.

NGUYEN: Well, after nearly three years, his cruel and unusual punishment is over. Genarlow Wilson out of jail this morning in Georgia.

The state's highest court ruled yesterday that Wilson's 10-year sentence for having consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old girl was too severe. He was 17 at the time, but now he's 21, and a free man who is vowing to change his life.

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GENARLOW WILSON, FREED FROM PRISON: From day one, I said that, you know, not just me, but, you know, all of us, you know, we made decisions that I felt like could have been better. But, you know, I felt like we've all learned from that experience. You know, all we can do it move forward. You can't step back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: No, you can't. But if you do want to learn more about Wilson's case, all you have to do is go to CNN.com.

This next story, it's almost hard to believe. Listen to this. Houston police say this couple right here was arrested because four of their eight children tested positive for cocaine. And get this -- all four are under the age of 3.

Authorities say the children were exposed to the parents' coke. They just aren't exactly sure how. One lawyer, though, says police got involved just in the nick of time.

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RANDY BURTON, HOUSTON ATTORNEY: If they hadn't intervened when they did, I'm confident within months we would have seen a dead child.

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NGUYEN: The parents face felony counts of injuring a child. All eight kids are now in foster care.

Going to work has turned deadly for two young pizzeria employees in Nashville, Tennessee. Police say two armed robbers walked in around 10:00, ordered everyone into the kitchen. They forced the manager to empty the safe and killed him. Then turned the gun on a teen employee.

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DON AARON, NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, POLICE: They were two innocent men, young men, doing the best they could to make a living. And their lives have been taken by two cowardly gun-toting thugs, and it should inflame the entire community.

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NGUYEN: OK. So maybe you can help. Here are the clues police hope will catch the killers. They did find a baseball hat with a dollar sign that may belong to one of the suspects. If you have any information, please call police immediately.

Well, we want you to take a deep breath. You know, breathe it in. Relax. It's your weekend. Well, that alone could be dangerous for people in southern California, because what goes up must come down.

We're going to tell you the dangers of breathing, next.

And could this be the person who kidnapped the little British girl? Madeleine McCann's parents want you to take a closer look. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: No surprise. You may have to pay more for gas and heating oil.

Crude oil prices are now above $90 a barrel. That is a record high. And to add to that, the airline industry has its own problems. However, relief could be on the way with a new Open Skies agreement that could change the way you fly.

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MARK ORWOLL, SR. CONSULTING EDITOR, "TRAVEL & LEISURE": Because of the weak dollar, the constant traveling to Europe has never been more expensive for Americans that it is now. But there's some good news on the horizon.

In March 2008, a new Open Skies agreement goes into effect between the United States and the European Union. For the first time, U.S. airlines will be able to fly from one European city to another, and European airlines will be able to fly to the United States from any European country, not just the country in which they're based.

This new agreement will probably benefit business travelers the most. To attract those high-paying passengers, the airlines are likely to make improvements in business class cabins. You can even expect to see an increase in business-only flights across the Atlantic.

But what about the average traveler? With more airlines flying to more destinations, experts foresee more convenient flight times with multiple airlines flying to your European destination.

As for the affect on airfares, don't look for significant savings anytime soon. Despite some claims that one day we'll see transatlantic flights in the double digits, prices, at least in the near term, are expected to remain steady.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOLF: Can you breathe without, you know, feeling a burning in your throat? Hard for me to. Well, and if you can at home, well, consider yourself lucky.

It's not really the case for many people living here in southern California. In fact, the harmful effects that we have of the wildfires smoke, we're going to talk about those effects coming up right after this.

We'll see you then.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: It is 15 past the hour on this Saturday morning. Want to get you some "Quick Hits" to give you more news in less time. Remember all those guns? Yes, you see them right here. Philadelphia police found them at the home of a 14-year-old boy accused of plotting a Columbine-style attack on his high school. Well, yesterday, Dylan Cossey (ph) admitted stockpiling the weapons. He's now in juvenile custody and will have regular evaluations.

They are still suspects in their daughter's disappearance in Portugal, but Gerry and Kate McCann of Great Britain are continuing to look for her. Now they've released an artist's sketch based on a friend's description. The friend who was dining with the McCanns the night Madeleine vanished says she saw the man walking away from their hotel room but didn't realize it was important until later.

Crime and punishment in Kansas City. A jury decides that Lisa Montgomery should get the death penalty for the brutal murder of a pregnant woman. Montgomery was convicted of strangling Bobbie Jo Stinnett and then using a kitchen knife to cut her fetus from her womb. Montgomery later tried to patch the infant off as her own.

Let's get you back now to southern California and the fires out there.

The air quality, Reynolds -- I've heard you coughing all morning long -- the air quality is really pretty bad, especially after a week of fires.

WOLF: Oh, there's no question about it. It has been very, very bad. And it's not really going to improve until these fires are extinguished or until we get a big change in the wind pattern that really pushes a lot of this smoke far and away.

You know, as soon as my producer and I arrived here, we could really feel that weird burning sensation in our throats. And there's so much toxic air, so much stuff that is in the atmosphere, and, you know, so many people have that question, how bad could it really be?

Well, we're going to find out those answers by speaking to lung specialist Dr. Smita Desai.

And I hope I got your name correctly. Is -- was I anywhere close on that one?

DR. SMITA DESAI, PULMONARY DISEASE SPECIALIST: That was very good. Smita Desai.

WOLF: OK. Very good. Very good.

DESAI: Thank you, Reynolds.

WOLF: Well, just -- you bet. The first question for you is, how toxic is this air?

DESAI: Well, I think that the most significant portion of this type of exposure is the particulate matter, and that can vary from day to day, depending on the winds and the wind shift. So it's unclear how toxic it can be in terms of long-term exposure. In terms of short-term exposures, it can result in anything from minor irritation of the eyes, ears, throat, as you are experiencing, to more severe issues such as very difficult breathing, and even in people that are very sensitive, problems with exacerbations of their underlying lung disease, or result in problems with bacterial pneumonias and infections.

WOLF: Now, no doubt with this fire that we've had, again, over parts of southern California, I'm sure you have been inundated with phone calls. What exactly are you telling patients that do call you?

DESAI: We're -- my entire division of specialists is advising our patients to essentially stay indoors if they can, to limit their exposure to the outside ambient air as much as possible. If it's very important for them to be outside, where the visibility is obviously reduced, that in that type of a situation, we would advise them to wear a mask. These N-95 or R-95 masks can be, those can be somewhat helpful. But without a perfect seal around the face, they are not completely successful, but they can, in the short term, reduce one's exposure.

Otherwise, we're also advising people to avoid heavy exertion and exercise. And we're asking our patients to give us a call at the first signs of trouble so that we can catch problems early and hopefully avoid hospital stays.

WOLF: I see. And then one more question for you. I know you are very busy today. This is going to be kind of a two-parter.

The first part of the question is, what symptoms are you seeing in patients? And how can people know if they've been affected?

DESAI: Most people are going to experience irritation of the eyes -- you know, itchy, watery eyes, a dry throat. People are frequently going to be clearing their throats like you and I. They may experience some coughing and increased sputum production.

The people that are most at risk are those that are elderly, infants, and, of course, people with underlying respiratory disease. And those people are going to experience increased breathlessness and coughing.

So what -- the other thing to watch out for is the sensation of chest tightness or chest pressure. There's some conflicting data out there about whether this type of an exposure can cause an increase incidence of heart attack. So we are asking people to let us know if they are sensing anything different than their normal function.

WOLF: I see. OK. Well, thank you again so much for your time. I know you have been incredibly busy.

And we've got about 10 people in this crew that will be over in your office probably within the hour, including yours truly. Thanks again for your time and that great information.

Betty, we're going to send it back to you in Atlanta.

NGUYEN: All right. Thank you, Reynolds.

OK. Just picture this -- a 3-year-old boy is wandering the streets alone at night. And guess who finds him? A registered sex offender.

We're going to show you what happens next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: New this morning, check it out, a hit to kill missile test near Hawaii. This is new video coming in to CNN.

U.S. defense officials say a rocket successfully -- right there -- intercepted a ballistic missile target overnight. The missile defense program is designed to shoot down short and medium-range ballistic missiles.

Also want you to listen to this story. A convicted sex offender helps a child in danger. Yes, it is a parent's worst nightmare, but with a happy ending.

Police say a 3-year-old climbed on a chair, unlocked the door, and then let himself out of his Nebraska home. All the while, his parents were asleep. Now, he was wandering the streets when the good Samaritan found him and immediately called police.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KACKY FINNELL, LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, POLICE DEPT.: The first passerby who first spotted the child and stopped and contacted him is a level three registered sex offender.

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NGUYEN: Did you hear that? Well, apparently, the boy's parents never knew the little one was gone. Police say they were still sleeping when they brought the child home. His parents have been cited for neglect.

Legendary country music star Porter Wagoner has been released from a Nashville hospital but has gone into hospice care. Wagoner, who is now 80 years old, joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1957. He was recently diagnosed with lung cancer.

There are new fires burning in California at this hour. We are staying on top of it.

We also have the latest in the search for a fire bug. See why this white pickup truck is a clue.

Plus, your pet is safe and sound, but many animals remain lost and separated from their owners. The search for these families members, that continues. And we're going to give you the latest on that in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) NGUYEN: Well, good morning, everybody. It is 10:30 in the East, 7:30 in the West.

Want to get you a quick update on our top stories right now.

Investigators in California are asking the public for help finding the driver of a pickup truck like this one. It is a Ford F- 150 with chrome tubular running boards. Investigators say a pickup like the one that you are looking at right here was seen near the area where the Santiago Fire started last Sunday. And officials think that fire was deliberately set.

Look at this video. It has charred 27,000 acres and it is still burning. A $250,000 reward has been offered for tips that lead to an arrest.

Reynolds Wolf is in Rancho Bernardo, California, and is seeing the fire effects firsthand.

In fact, when we just talked earlier this morning, they were still battling a fire just down the road from you.

WOLF: Oh, you're absolutely right, less than -- less than a half mile from where we are set up, we had a smoldering fire kicked up. And thankfully, firefighters were able to jump on in and take care of it relatively quickly.

You know, it's been just a devastating sight for firefighters, finding bodies of four people burned to death. And they were believed to be border jumpers, but they did get caught up in that fast-moving fire with no way to get help.

CNN's Brian Todd has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The position of their bodies tells of a horrifying end, one at the bottom of a canyon, another dozens of feet higher, a third several feet above that, all severely burned. Authorities say it appears they were frantically trying to get out, but couldn't reach high ground fast enough.

DAMON FOREMAN, U.S. BORDER PATROL: The fires probably moved through here pretty rapidly. The fire burned this area around on Sunday, in the first initial wave of the fire when the winds were the strongest

TODD: Cadaver dogs found a total of four bodies in this remote canyon devastated by the Harris fire. We were there as recovery teams and medical examiners struggled in the darkness and jagged terrain to reach them. Border patrol and sheriff officials tell us they suspect these were border crossers moving through a common but treacherous route into the U.S.

FOREMAN: There's definitely a danger for any border crossers when the fires are right at the border. The Border patrol has made several rescues during this whole week. We've rescued well over 50 people who were affected by the fires.

TODD: Agents tell us even as these fires die down, they're going to be more proactive in trying to find people in these canyons and get them out so they don't have a repeat of this tragedy.

Brian Todd, CNN, Barrett Junction, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Well, you've probably already fed your pet this morning, but many people in southern California don't even know where their cat or dog is. The Humane Society is rounding up these abandoned and missing animals. So let's find out how they are doing that with Dr. Mark Goldstein of the San Diego Humane Society.

Thanks for being with us this morning. We do appreciate your time. I know you're very, very busy.

The first thing I want to ask you about is, actually, how do you go about finding these abandoned animals? Because they could be just about anywhere.

DR. MARK GOLDSTEIN, PRESIDENT, SAN DIEGO HUMANE SOCIETY: Yes. Good morning, Betty. Thank you very much for putting the light on such an important subject.

You know, the Humane Society works under the auspices and leadership of the County of San Diego Department of Animal Services. And, in fact, if people have lost their pets, they should go to their Web site. That's the common Web site now in our community. The County Department of Animal Services will have on their Web all the pictures of dogs found that don't have owners.

You know, hopefully everybody has microchipped their pet or also has a license with a tag on it. That will certainly help.

You can also check the Red Cross stations around the county, because we do have some where the Humane Society is helping. For instance, at Mira Mesa High School. And you can stop by there and check, and show a picture if you hopefully have one. And between those systems, there's a good chance we can reunite you with your loved one.

NGUYEN: Yes. You know, but if someone comes to you and says, look, here's a picture of my dog, I'm going to put it on the Web site, but I don't know where it is, how do you go about finding that animal?

GOLDSTEIN: Well, we have officers in the field. Right now, we've got actually eight organizations in the county of San Diego. We're all a great coalition. And once we have that information, we can disseminate it to the organizations.

We've got officers out in the field. The County of San Diego Department of Animal Services has their officers out in the field. So once we have that... NGUYEN: So they're patrolling neighborhoods looking for those. And we're not just talking about dogs and cats. I mean, because you've come across some very large animals.

Talk to me about the different types of pets that you've encountered.

GOLDSTEIN: Yes. Well, you know, it ranges.

Everything -- we've had llamas, we've had emus, we've had parrots, we've had snakes, we've had dogs, cats. You know, the concern we have now, as we go back into the burned areas, is what happened to some of the herds of animals? That's a bit tragic for us, because those animals can't be moved.

But you are absolutely right. We've seen four-legged, two-legged and no-legged. We found one site, in fact, there were 25,000 small birds, mice and rats. And, you know, they all count in our book.

NGUYEN: Rats?

GOLDSTEIN: Yes. They all count in our book. We were able to take care and protect those animals, make sure they got fed.

NGUYEN: Was this at a business or something or -- these can't be somebody's pets. That many?

GOLDSTEIN: No, I don't think -- I don't know if I have enough love for 25,000 animals, and I'm a veterinarian.

NGUYEN: Exactly . Well, we are looking at some video just a minute ago of those horses that were rescued. And when we talk about those animals, especially those who their owners could not take them with them, are you seeing some injuries because of the fire?

GOLDSTEIN: You know, we're just finding that out now. And, you know, I have to say, the San Diego community was profoundly affected by this. But at the same time, they were ready.

I think Katrina, 9/11 and all these previous disasters taught us to include our animals in our disaster plans. So, first, the good news is, a lot of people were prepared to take their animals, even their horses. And where they weren't, we have our animal rescue reserve, volunteer organization, part of the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA, that was able to get out there along with a lot of other agencies and move their animals for them.

I was up at (INAUDIBLE) just last night. I saw a couple of dozen horses that are there. I saw one family coming back to claim theirs.

So it's been amazing how prepared people were. And when they weren't, we were there to help them move their animals. There are going to be some that were.

NGUYEN: Well, best of luck to you.

GOLDSTEIN: Yes.

NGUYEN: Yes. Well, you know, it's a good thing that you are doing -- there are a lot of people out there desperately searching for members of their family, is how many consider their pets. And it's important that you get them back with their rightful owners.

Thanks for your time today, Dr. Mark Goldstein, president of the San Diego Humane Society. We do appreciate it.

GOLDSTEIN: Appreciate your time very much. And we'll be out there continuing to look for people's loved ones. And we really appreciate it. We value that human/animal bond.

NGUYEN: Absolutely. Thank you.

And you can actually get involved in the California wildfires by donating your time and your money. Here's what you do. All you have to do is go on to CNN.com/impact. Log on to that site and there you can help.

So, do you think Congress is doing a good job these days? If so, you don't have much company.

A new CNN-Opinion Research Poll shows major dissatisfaction over the way Congress is handling its job. Only 22 percent approved, with a whopping 75 percent gave Congress a big thumbs down.

If eight Democrats are in the race for president, why is Mike Gravel the only one who is showing up to stump at the party's convention in Florida? Well, it's all about being first. But could it mean the Democrats come in last in '08?

Let's get the latest on this with Jessica Yellin. She's in Orlando with more on a party skirmish over the date of Florida's primary.

And this is very important, because a lot of folks may not be there.

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You're absolutely right, Betty. You know, in years past at the Democrats' state convention here in Florida, all the Democratic headliners have shown up. This year, with the presidential election upon us, there's no Obama, no Clinton and no Edwards. So if you think that's a little odd, you're not alone.

Florida, of course is one of the key battleground states when it comes to winning the presidential election. So what's up?

Well, what happened is Florida moved its primary date up farther than the National Democratic Party wanted them to. To punish Florida and to tell other states not to do the same, they've asked all these major candidates not to run ads in the state and not to hold rallies. And the candidates complied. So they're not here today.

Now some local Democrats are trying to put a positive spin on all of this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAREN THURMAN, FLORIDA STATE DEMOCRATIC PARTY: I think there's some disappointment, sure. You know, I'm not going to say that there's not and diminish that. But I do think that, you know, because they're not here, people see a different kind of, you know, grassroots organization moving, doing the kinds of things that are necessary to win.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YELLIN: Now, of course there is enthusiasm inside still, just as she says. There's some grassroots momentum. But the problem is that Republicans have been stumping in this state nonstop. In fact, all the major Republican headliners were at their state convention here in Orlando last week.

So Democrats really have to hope that come next November, voters won't hold it against them that they were no-shows this time this year -- Betty.

NGUYEN: All right. Thank you, Jessica.

And we have this just in to CNN. The United Auto Workers Union says its members have approved a new four-year contract with Chrysler.

Now, you might remember that the union did reach a tentative agreement back on October 10th following a six-hour nationwide strike. Well, this new four-year final agreement includes a contract that covers approximately 45,000 active workers at Chrysler, more than 55,000 retirees, and some 23,000 surviving spouses.

Again, a new four-year contract with Chrysler. This is something that the United Auto Workers Union members have approved today.

We do want to get you more now on a lawsuit. Actually, a settlement involving one. Survivors of the Minnesota bridge collapse facing huge medical bills. What they are doing about that.

That story is just minutes away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Forty-five minutes past the hour on this Saturday morning. We want to give you some "Quick Hits" to get you more news in less time.

A 9/11-type fund is being discussed for victims of the Minneapolis bridge collapse. The proposed fund would help pay victims' medical bills, but they would give up their right to sue the state.

And the design of a new $234 million bridge is all but finished. Civic leaders voted this week on a white bridge with prominent views of the Mississippi River. OK. So she may not be mother of the year material, but Britney Spears could be getting her kids back. A judge is expected to rule by Tuesday on joint custody of those two kids. Both Spears and ex- husband Kevin Federline get one day each with the kids this weekend.

There may be a news blackout in Watsontown, Pennsylvania. That's because a local newsstand is closing down for good.

See that lady in the past shot? Well, she's 85 years old. She's the owner and she says -- there she is -- she is ready to retire.

The store has been there even longer, though, 99 years. But now the locals will have to go elsewhere to get their information. And let me just say, why don't you try CNN? We definitely give you the news here. That's for sure.

So let's give that to you right now. We're going to turn now to Rancho Bernardo, California, and CNN's Reynolds Wolf.

Reynolds, we're talking about many people returning to their neighborhoods trying to get their lives back on track. But here's the thing, fires are still burning around the area.

WOLF: Oh, you are absolutely right. This thing is far from being over just yet. And I have to tell you, though, now that the sun is coming up and it's a bit more light, during the nighttime, the early morning when it's dark, it's a little more aesthetically pleasing because you don't have to see everything.

Now you get the bright daylight coming up. And, well, you have a bit more reality. You can see just the homes behind me that aren't homes anymore because of the fires.

And what's really been weird is, when we first got here just yesterday, Betty, we had a view of homes that were in pristine condition. Then we saw neighborhoods thad had been completely leveled as though they had been fire bombed.

And then you'll see even more puzzling, you'll go through some neighborhoods where you'll have a house that doesn't exist anymore, it's a pile of burned rubble. And then right next door to it, you'll have a house that doesn't have a single cinder, doesn't have any debris in the front yard. It's just -- it's just perfect. It could be any other day in southern California.

It's that weird contrast that you find all over this area that just boggles the mind. It's a crazy thing to see.

But you're right. There are going to be a lot of people that are going to be coming back and seeing their homes for the first time. They have no idea if it's standing or not. And there are many people that are still being kept from their homes because of those fires.

So it's a very frustrating day and sad day for many people.

NGUYEN: Absolutely, Reynolds. And, of course, we'll be checking in with you throughout the day as developments just continue to occur. Like we talked about earlier, fires keep burning near you and many of the outskirt areas.

Thanks for that.

Well, we do want to tell you about this story. It's very interesting, because one woman's dream wedding almost did not come true. Not because she had second thoughts, cold feet, oh, no. But because of those wildfires that we've been showing you almost burned down the church.

Joining me now on the phone is Julie Thomas.

And Julie, you live in Chula Vista, which is, as I mentioned, on the outskirts of San Diego.

The first thing I want to say is -- more like a question, actually -- is the wedding still on?

JULIE THOMAS, BRIDE-TO-BE: Oh, it's definitely on.

NGUYEN: Good deal. Glad to hear that.

Now, earlier this week you had your car packed, everything in it, all those valuables ready to go. And you were just really waiting for that fire to come near your house. Tell me what happened.

THOMAS: Well, we were just -- on Sunday, we went outside and we smelled -- we smelled what smelled like the neighbor was having a campfire, but it's a suburban neighborhood, though.

We looked it up on the Internet and there's all these fires. We didn't even realize that there were fires, and this was on Sunday.

So we watched that the whole night. And we watched -- it was still far enough out there that we weren't concerned. But as it started getting closer and there were talks about it being worse than 2003, and that it was going to burn to the ocean, that's when we started getting alarmed. And then we watched it get right up to the reservoir there, which is -- my matron of honor, actually, lives on the other side of that reservoir.

NGUYEN: So you didn't have to evacuate your home?

THOMAS: No, I didn't, but they evacuated the very eastern part of that city.

NGUYEN: Well, what about the church that you are going to be getting married in? How close did that come to burning down?

THOMAS: That is on the northeast side of the Chula Vista. So it's a little -- it was closer to Proctor Valley (ph), where the fire was coming down the road.

NGUYEN: Really? Yes, well, we're looking at a live picture of it now, and it seems to be fine and dandy, which is good, because you're getting married there today.

Did you ever think that you would come this close to see your wedding day go up in smoke?

THOMAS: No, I had no idea. When we -- we had set the date back in January, and I had actually just finished writing out the final week itinerary when all of this happened. And so it pushed everything back a few days and...

NGUYEN: Well, you picked a good weekend.

Hey, just very quickly though, let me put this out there, because as you are getting married and you're so thankful to the fact it is going to happen today, you owe a lot of that to the people that you call the superheroes on the ground, that being the firefighters. Anything you want to say to them?

THOMAS: I just want to say thank you to them. That's really why I wrote the letter and sent it in. I just wanted them to know that it's not just structures that they saved, or that they are still continuing to save.

NGUYEN: Yes. And you did write a letter in to CNN talking about how this was your dream day. And thankfully, it will go on as planned.

Congratulations. I'll say that in advance.

THOMAS: Thank you.

NGUYEN: I wish you a very happy marriage. And go out there and walk down that aisle as you had planned.

Thanks for spending a little time with us today.

THOMAS: OK. Thank you.

NGUYEN: Well, one man finds a big diamond after he already proposes. Want you to take a look at that.

Ladies, would you prefer this rock on your finger?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BEATLES (SINGING): I want to hold your hand. I want to hold your hand.

NGUYEN: OK. You know that song. You know, you hear that popular Beatles tune. It brings back memories, doesn't it?

Well, one insider wasn't thrilled with it. In fact, Ken Mansfield tells us why "The White Book" is really the (INAUDIBLE) version of the Beatles. That's tomorrow on "CNN SUNDAY MORNING".

Now we want to talk about a shot in the dark, shall we say. A 75-year-old blind man shot at an intruder who broke into his home and actually hit pim. Arthur Williams lives in Florida and his been blind for most of his life. Still, though, he is pretty independent and a good shot.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARTHUR WILLIAMS, SHOT INTRUDER: I bought that gun back 25, 30 years ago for my protection.

LT. KEITH KAMEG, GAINESVILLE POLICE: This is the classic example. If you commit crime, you can get hurt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: The intruder was hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the neck. Yes, I'd say he got hurt a little bit. And he is actually being charged with battery and burglary.

Well, sometimes it is better to be lucky than good. I know you've heard that. Want you to take a look at this.

A raw diamond found on a Crater of Diamonds State Park. Actually, that's where it was found in Arkansas. That's the name of the site.

But it's nearly four carats. Kind of hard to tell in that picture.

It was the second diamond a Wisconsin man found there in a week. Can you believe it, second in one week? One Monday he actually snagged a gem nearly two carats in size.

For now, the raw stones will go into his collection. Must be nice to have a collection. He says his fiancee already has a nice diamond ring. Good for him.

Well, we want to tell you about a shock discovery now inside a storage unit in Tallahassee -- glass cases holding at least four venomous cobras, including one from Africa. Fish and wildlife officials say the snakes had not been fed for several months and were in bad shape. The snake's owner could face charges. The unit was being cleaned out for nonpayment of rent.

Well, even animals get dressed up for Halloween, but Royal -- check out Royal right there. It's really a horse, I promise. A Clydesdale, to be exact. But his owner likes to dress him like a black poodle for Halloween. Don't know why.

Royal, though, galloped off with the first prize at his pet store contest in Erie, Pennsylvania. Erie is appropriate. That just doesn't look right.

He was declared pick of the litter. And we're not joking about that one.

Let's take you back now to California and our Reynolds Wolf with the latest on what is happening with the wildfires out there. Hey, Reynolds.

WOLF: Hey. Good morning, Betty.

It's still a fairly tense situation here in parts of southern California. What's interesting though, is, I mean, you do have moments of joy. There are many people that are very fortunate that did make it through the fires unscathed, without any tremendous issues. But then there are people who are experiencing just devastating loss this morning with nothing at all left.

But today is a rebuilding day. This is the day that many of them begin to start over. Some of them are going to start coming home for the very first time. And it's a story not just of people, but also of pets -- keeping with that pet theme. And we're going to be sharing that with you throughout the rest of the weekend and throughout the rest of the day, of course.

NGUYEN: All right. Well, you know, we're going to keep on that animal theme, Reynolds, because turkeys are leaving the wild, heading for the big city. And at noon Eastern, we're going to talk to one police chief about what to do when turkeys attack.

Has it ever happened to you, Reynolds? I sure hope not. I don't even know what I'd do.

WOLF: No, usually it's the other way around, especially around Thanksgiving.

NGUYEN: Yes.

WOLF: But coming up next hour -- I know. Coming up next hour, you have seen the pictures, but most of the neighborhood that you have heard about has been burned to the ground, except for one or two homes left untouched. Now, coming up, we're going to sit down, we're going to talk with one family about their survivor's guilt.

That in just a few moments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Time now to head to New York and Kiran Chetry to see what's coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING".

Hey there, Kiran.

KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Betty.

You know, we plan to keep up with some of the families that we met out in San Diego County this week. A lot of the viewers were really touched by the stories, like the Schlotte family. They had to make a run for it when wildfires overwhelmed their home in Ramona, California.

We went back with them to see what was left. Their home was tragically left in ashes. It was incredibly emotional for them. And we want to see how Billy, Ben and their sons are starting their lives over. So much work ahead for them and for a lot of people.

And we're also going to stay on the cost of all of it, the reimbursements, and just who is going to end up footing the bill -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Yes, it's a tremendous story.

But also, you are working on something that I find very interesting as well. And that's these little things around the house that can actually turn dangerous in an instant.

CHETRY: Yes, you don't think about it. And when we saw these statistics, it was really unbelievable.

Our consumer reporter, Greg Hunter, tells us that 33 million people every year get hurt by something that's just around their house. And, in fact, he talked with a father of a young boy who died right in his bedroom when he climbed into an open dresser drawer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD PIERCE, VICTIM'S FATHER: We were here at the house. Only 15 minutes or so that he was up here alone. And, you know, we thought putting him in his room was a safe place to be. It wasn't.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: Furniture, even TVs, can be potential dangers for children. Now, Greg's going to show us what we need to know to protect our families.

That's coming up Monday on "AMERICAN MORNING".

And also, Betty, one more thing.

I don't know if you remember the nerds, self-proclaimed nerds, the college computer geeks. They were looking to auction off tech support for a date.

NGUYEN: Right.

CHETRY: Well, their auction is this weekend. So we're going to see if it actually paid off for the guys and their dates -- Betty.

NGUYEN: You know, there are days when my computer is not working that -- no, I don't think I'll go that far.

All right. Thanks, Kiran.

You can join Kiran and John Roberts for "AMERICAN MORNING" every weekday beginning at 6:00 a.m. right here on CNN.

It is Saturday, October 27th. And you are in the CNN NEWSROOM. Hello, everybody.

I'm Betty Nguyen.

Straight ahead, arsonist alert. Be on the lookout for a white pickup truck like this one. We're going to have the latest on the California wildfires and why people are centering in on that truck.

Also, a Georgia man is free from what the court has called cruel and unusual punishment. Find out what Genarlow Wilson is doing with his newfound freedom.

And an important health alert for you. That superbug claims yet another young life. We have some potentially lifesaving information for families.

First up, I want to tell you that my partner T.J. Holmes is off today. He's being honored at his alma mater, the University of Arkansas.

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