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CNN Live At Daybreak

300,000 Acres Scorched in Oregon

Aired August 17, 2001 - 07:16   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.
COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: We want to get back to the story of those big wildfires burning out West. Now, 500,000 acres have been scorched in 10 states. The big problem right now, though, is in the state of Oregon. Nearly 300,000 acres have burned there.

Sue Vap is the director of fire management for the National Park Service, and she joins us now by phone from Boise, Idaho.

Sue, we know that some areas are getting the help of troops, but not all of them and not at once, not all immediately. Is this going to be enough to ease the strain on firefighters?

SUE VAP, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE: Colleen, this should make a big dent in the resource shortage that we have by getting military assistance. And two of the states that we're very concerned about are Washington and Oregon. And we believe at this point in time that we're going to be sending the military to Washington.

MCEDWARDS: You know, a Portland official I heard quoted as saying their most important thing right now -- the most important thing they need is this manpower issue addressed.

VAP: Well, to have enough personnel to go on the fire is very critical. And so we are gearing up to train military and to have them in place. We are resting crews as they come off of other fires and then getting ready to ship them to the most critical areas that we have to work right now.

MCEDWARDS: Can you describe the conditions that the firefighters are working under? I know they are working 14-16 hour shifts.

VAP: That is correct. And it's very hot. It's very dry. We have very little humidity recovery, so whether they're working during the day or the night, it's just very hot and dry. Today, it's probably going to be a little more windy, which is good for the firefighters that are working, but it will probably increase the size of the fires. It's smoky, it's dirty.

You know, we do everything we can to provide good food, good kitchens, good showers, decent sleeping areas, so that they work hard and have a very good place to rest.

MCEDWARDS: Can I just turn your attention a little bit now to issues of prevention? Because we know people are going to be talking about this after this terrible season.

The president has been talking this week about a plan that would give states, local authorities more power, more authority in terms of fire prevention and then fighting fires.

How important do you think that is?

VAP: Oh, it's very important. We would like to have the state sitting at the table with their federal partners and everyone talking together about what can be done to decrease the fire danger surrounding their communities, surrounding people's personal houses. Because there are lots of things to do, and if you do it in concert, you would have a much better chance of accomplishing it and maintaining it.

MCEDWARDS: Understood. Sue Vap, thanks for your time this morning -- appreciate it.

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