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CNN Live Saturday

Wildfires Burning Out Of Control In Western States

Aired August 18, 2001 - 16:05   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.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: Out west, it's not much of a weekend for more than 20,000 firefighters. They continue their fight against flames raging in 10 states. The numbers grow more staggering by the day. So far, more than 600,000 acres have been scorched.

Fire crews are being helped this weekend by a number of military planes dropping fire retardant. And in some areas, troops are being sent to the front lines.

For the latest out west, we turn to CNN's Gina London. She's on the scene in Oregon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GINA LONDON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Combating fatigue as much as fire, the battle goes on today through much of the West. Reinforcements are on the way for some exhausted firefighters. Military battalions from North Carolina and Washington state of at least 800 soldiers on alert to be sent in within a week.

GOV. JOHN KITZHABER, OREGON: This front that's coming through, although it's going to be cooler, is going to bring wind with it. And then we expect more dry lightning strikes this weekend. So at this point we're OK, but it could get out of control.

LONDON: Of the 10 states now waging wildfire wars, Oregon is hardest hit. Eleven major fires there have scorched nearly 300,000 acres, hot winds blowing at least one within just a few miles of a city limit.

National guard members from around the state have been trained, hundreds joining the fight in earnest today.

UNIDENTIFIED SOLDIER: It's an excellent thing to do, to help out the people who are in strife and to help the brave souls who have been out there for three and a half months already fighting the fires, to maybe get a chance to get out there and give them some relief.

LONDON: And across the rest of the fire-torn states, crews struggle to continue their grueling pace. Work goes around the clock, many on 14 to 16-hour shifts, in efforts to contain each raging blaze.

DAVE LARSON, FIREFIGHTER: Fatigue on the fire line is one of our number one concerns, especially when we're getting into this phase of the fire, the crews are going to -- the fatigue is going to be a major factor.

LONDON (on camera): But reinforcements are on the way here. We have word from the officials that there are going to be more than 300 national guard members coming in in shift over the course of this day to help assist in the fighting of this fire.

Gina London, CNN, Ruch, Oregon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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