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CNN Live Saturday

Latest News On Western Wildfires

Aired August 18, 2001 - 16:07   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.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: One of the worst fires burning is in Washington, near Leavenworth. We want to get the latest on efforts there.

We are joined now by fire information officer, Art Wirtz. He is at the command post in Leavenworth, joins us by phone with the latest.

Mr. Wirtz what can you tell us about the fire where you are?

ART WIRTZ, FIRE INFORMATION OFFICER: Overnight it spread from 4,000 to approximately 5,000 acres. And we picked up some winds yesterday, so that's what resulted from the spread.

We also have some very steep slopes, conditions such that it's very dangerous to put firefighters in a lot of the areas. So, the strategy has kind of changed in the last day or so to back off and let a couple of the larger fires burn together, and use that strategy to -- so it will be a safer condition on their end, also a more effective control on the fire.

KELLEY: And it is so dangerous for the firefighters. So, what are you doing with them?

tell us about -- I know you just told us about the new strategy. But, how many are there and how are you using them, then?

WIRTZ: Right now we have 742 people that are committed to this fire. We have a lot of other resource, including helicopters and other resources. So in a lot of those areas that we will not commit men or any of the forces in those areas, we use bucket drops and other type of tools that we have available.

KELLEY: I have been through that area a number of times, I know it is a big tourist area. How about the tourist there, evacuations of them, are they still sticking around?

WIRTZ: Yes, we've had evacuations and we've also had some people that we've contacted, particularly in some of the wilderness areas. Sometimes we've had some that have refused to leave the area. In fact, we've had some in the wilderness that refused and then later on realized that they were trapped, and then we had to result in -- use some other methods to get those folks out.

But right now there's no major risk to any life or property, and there's no other evacuations that are planned at this time.

KELLEY: OK, all right. That brings us up to date, because I was going to ask you about the residents who live there all the time.

So, thank you very much, Art Wirtz, at the command post in Leavenworth, Washington, with the latest on the fires there. Thanks.

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