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CNN Live Saturday

Show Low Residents Return Home

Aired June 29, 2002 - 17:05   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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Flames from Arizona's massive inferno have jumped fire lines and are now moving toward hundreds of homes in Forest Lake, but the town of Show Low appears to have dodged the latest threat.

Thousands of people forced to leave their homes earlier are now getting a chance to return; CNN's David Mattingly reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Tears of joy for Dennis and Darlene Schultz (ph).

DARLENE SCHULTZ, SHOW LOW RESIDENT: I haven't cried this whole time, haven't been real emotional for this whole time. It's just getting home.

DENNIS SCHULTZ, SHOW LOW RESIDENT: Yes, same here.

MATTINGLY: The home they left a week ago when the fire threatened the town of Show Low, Arizona -- still standing, untouched. The sprinkler they left running on the roof -- turned off and not needed.

NELLA EGNOR, SHOW LOW RESIDENT: When I left Saturday at the bottom of this hill, it looked like fireworks.

MATTINGLY: There is a collective sense of relief and gratitude as Show Low resident like Nella Egnor finally returned to the homes they were certain would not survive the worst forest fire in state history.

EGNOR: Oh, it seems wonderful. I just want to thank all the firefighters and everybody that worked so hard to save our homes. They were wonderful.

MATTINGLY: It was just four days ago that firefighters still could not say for certain that Show Low could be saved. It wasn't until hundreds of acres of burnouts were set by crews to clear the forest of fuel that the fire slowed and stopped at the south edge of the city limits, less than a half mile from Gaylan Thomas' house.

GAYLAN THOMAS, SHOW LOW RESIDENT: I feel like I want to do cartwheels. MATTINGLY: But through the joy, the gratitude and relief, there is also sorrow, thoughts about communities west of Show Low and the people whose homes are among the hundreds that could not be saved.

MATTINGLY (on camera): And as they go about the task of getting on with their lives, Show Low residents say they will be ever mindful of the destructive power behind the fire that continues to menace other communities and how close it came to taking away everything they had.

David Mattingly CNN, Show Low, Arizona.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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