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CNN Live Saturday

Animals Evacuated Out of Path of Hayman Fire

Aired June 15, 2002 - 18:12   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.
CALLAWAY: Moving on to the situation in Colorado, where firefighters are racing against time there. They're trying as much -- to contain as much of that massive blaze near Denver as much as possible. The high winds are said to be on the way again, which will only, of course, fan the flames there.

Let's get the latest from CNN's Charles Molineaux who is near the front lines. Charles.

CHARLES MOLINEAUX, CNN: Yeah, Catherine, after three days of very favorable conditions for firefighters, things are taking a turn for the worse. It is still relatively cool and humid, but the winds have picked up and that means more danger and more erratic winds, too. The slurry bombers actually had to stay on the ground after things got pretty bouncy in the sky. And, right now, we've got five thousand people evacuated.

Keep in mind that this is in a very rural area -- out near the forests and outer suburbs of Denver where there's plenty of ranches. So, not only people are we talking about here, but this fire also effects a lot of animals.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

In the forest fire relief effort, Jar-Jar (ph) is known for some talent for singing, dancing, mischief, and comic relief. Part of a menagerie of animals evacuated from the paths of the Hayman Fire. The Jefferson County Fairgrounds are usually being used for horse shows, and rodeos. But today they're an emergency hideout for a Noah's Ark of -- yes -- goats, pigs, sheep, chickens, rabbits, ducks, Llamas, ponies, burros, and hundreds of horses.

Mike Shanahan (ph) and the Jefferson County Horse Council have turned years of painful experience with forest fires and animals into a plan for sheltering them. The idea is to take a big load off animal owner's minds with the promise of free lodging and some tender loving care.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All these people that have animals -- they're attached to them -- and they just -- we were at a situation where, you know, they have to be moved and it is stressful on everyone.

MOLINEAUX: Just ask Connie Hackathorn (ph). CONNIE HACKATHORN: Getting the horses in. I practiced loading the little puppies and then when they smelled that smoke, they all decided -- we not going in that trailer, so we had a little battle. I got a concussion and one of them got hurt. We got them all in and got them out of there.

MOLINEAUX: The Jefferson County Plan has become a guide in other counties effected by the Hayman fire, which are now dealing with their own waves of animal refugees.

Jefferson County's got some 30 people ready and willing to work with the animals. There's been no shortage of volunteers. The calls started coming in as soon as word about the animal evacuees came in. It seems there is no shortage of animal lovers out there, who want to help.

Nancy Conninweiser is one of them. She brought her horse, goats, and llama in from the high country and signed on as a volunteer herself when she saw, or rather smelled, that it was time to move.

CANNONWIESER: Smoke kind of makes your stomach turn, because you could lose your home. I knew that I could come down here, and there'd be a safe haven for all my animals.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MOLINEAUX: It's a haven which could be in for a lot of business. Saturday, June 15 marks the official beginning of Colorado's forest fire season. And this is already the third time this year this shelter has taken animals in.

And, of course it's very important to get those animals out with plenty of advance time because it is simply a lot more complicated, a lot more time consuming to do, which means that while the barn may be set at one level for people to want to clear out in the face of a forest fire, it is a lot lower for animals so people have to move a lot faster and a lot sooner and are likely to need lodging for them for a lot longer time.

Right now, we're looking at that weather forecast. The forest services says that things are looking not so great for the next couple of days, but the real danger could very well come on Tuesday, when they're expecting a major pick up in eh winds, which could bring a big pickup in the fires, so crews are indeed racing to get as much of it contained as they can between now and then.

Right now, they've done quite a bit the past couple of days. The Hayman fire is now 30 percent contained. Catherine.

CALLAWAY: Well that is some good news then. All right, CNN's Charles Molineaux. Thank you, Charles.

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