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CNN Live Saturday

Arizona Burns

Aired June 21, 2003 - 18:18   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.


MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: We go CNN's Dan Lothian, he's in Tucson; he joins us now live with another picture of the fire scene out there -- Dan.
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Marty, certainly all the officials here who are tackling this fire would love to get some of that moisture that we're seeing in other parts of the country. Because the fire here continues to rage out of control.

Still, according to officials, zero percent contained. Now we do want to show you some of the latest video that we have gotten. Officials allowing camera crews to go up to the town of Summer Haven, today. That is the town that was impacted by the fire that went raging through the town and destroying at least 250 homes.

It is amazing the destruction that you see in that videotape. Street after street, you see charred trucks and cars. And you'll see a bicycle, a burned out bicycle leaning up against rubble. You'll see a filing cabinet, sitting in the middle of what appears to be the road, but perhaps what used to be a home. And that's what it is like throughout that entire town.

Every so often you will see one home here and there that did manage to somehow escape being destroyed. But it is utter devastation in that town. We were talking to one homeowner, at least he used to be a homeowner up there.

And he says when people go up to that town and see the devastation, they will have to cry, because it is all there -- but mainly, it is all gone. One of the things that you keep hearing, time and time again, from the people who had homes up there, is that they do plan to rebuild. They said that they will get together and they will get their town back on its feet again.

A thousand firefighters up on Mount Lemmon, attacking this blaze on the ground. Seven helicopters in the air, two air tankers. Officials are making some progress, but they say the progress is coming in small steps because of the difficult terrain. There is a lot of dried brush. It is very steep there. It is very dangerous for the firefighters. And they're also battling the high winds, the winds picking up this afternoon. It is not as bad as it was yesterday, but nonetheless, officials are battling the wind as they try to contain this blaze -- Marty.

SAVIDGE: Dan are they out to save homes? Or are they out to try to contain the fire, which takes priority? LOTHIAN: Well, it is still a little bit of both, but they are taking more of an offensive role they said this afternoon. That is somewhat of a change in their strategy. There are a few homes that the fire could still impact. And they said that even areas where a home is standing, that doesn't mean that it won't be destroyed tomorrow by a fire that has already been through there, because there are all these little flare ups that are happening.

But right now, they are trying to take an offensive posture, going out, attacking the fire, trying to put a ring around the fire by digging trenches to prevent the fire from moving from whatever direction it may be going at the time. Right now it is going mainly to the north. But they are being more offensive on this fire.

SAVIDGE: CNN's Dan Lothian joining us live from Tucson, Arizona with the latest on the wildfires near there. Thanks very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired June 21, 2003 - 18:18   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: We go CNN's Dan Lothian, he's in Tucson; he joins us now live with another picture of the fire scene out there -- Dan.
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Marty, certainly all the officials here who are tackling this fire would love to get some of that moisture that we're seeing in other parts of the country. Because the fire here continues to rage out of control.

Still, according to officials, zero percent contained. Now we do want to show you some of the latest video that we have gotten. Officials allowing camera crews to go up to the town of Summer Haven, today. That is the town that was impacted by the fire that went raging through the town and destroying at least 250 homes.

It is amazing the destruction that you see in that videotape. Street after street, you see charred trucks and cars. And you'll see a bicycle, a burned out bicycle leaning up against rubble. You'll see a filing cabinet, sitting in the middle of what appears to be the road, but perhaps what used to be a home. And that's what it is like throughout that entire town.

Every so often you will see one home here and there that did manage to somehow escape being destroyed. But it is utter devastation in that town. We were talking to one homeowner, at least he used to be a homeowner up there.

And he says when people go up to that town and see the devastation, they will have to cry, because it is all there -- but mainly, it is all gone. One of the things that you keep hearing, time and time again, from the people who had homes up there, is that they do plan to rebuild. They said that they will get together and they will get their town back on its feet again.

A thousand firefighters up on Mount Lemmon, attacking this blaze on the ground. Seven helicopters in the air, two air tankers. Officials are making some progress, but they say the progress is coming in small steps because of the difficult terrain. There is a lot of dried brush. It is very steep there. It is very dangerous for the firefighters. And they're also battling the high winds, the winds picking up this afternoon. It is not as bad as it was yesterday, but nonetheless, officials are battling the wind as they try to contain this blaze -- Marty.

SAVIDGE: Dan are they out to save homes? Or are they out to try to contain the fire, which takes priority? LOTHIAN: Well, it is still a little bit of both, but they are taking more of an offensive role they said this afternoon. That is somewhat of a change in their strategy. There are a few homes that the fire could still impact. And they said that even areas where a home is standing, that doesn't mean that it won't be destroyed tomorrow by a fire that has already been through there, because there are all these little flare ups that are happening.

But right now, they are trying to take an offensive posture, going out, attacking the fire, trying to put a ring around the fire by digging trenches to prevent the fire from moving from whatever direction it may be going at the time. Right now it is going mainly to the north. But they are being more offensive on this fire.

SAVIDGE: CNN's Dan Lothian joining us live from Tucson, Arizona with the latest on the wildfires near there. Thanks very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com