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CNN Live At Daybreak
Fires Raging in Seven U.S. States
Aired August 20, 2001 - 08:07 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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: As you just showed us, there is no rest for the weary -- firefighters in the West. Fires are raging in seven states this morning, and firefighting efforts are coordinated by the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, which is, of course, where we find our Jeff Flock.
Jeff, as I understand it, you're going to show us exactly how the strategy is mapped out there.
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Carol.
This is a kind of a rare, behind-the-scenes look at what they do here. This is the place where they manage all of their efforts. And it's at these pods that you see back here -- the one right behind me right here, this is where they deploy equipment, aircraft in the back, where they deploy personnel over at the other one.
And over here, a very important one -- this is weather. And I do -- I want to get the very latest in terms of weather. Rick Ochoa is a meteorologist, who is, I guess, you're a fire meteorologist. Is that right, Rick?
RICK OCHOA, FIRE WEATHER METEOROLOGIST: That's right.
FLOCK: Give me a sense of the headline today on weather. What are you looking at on your screen right now?
OCHOA: Well, the big headline today is this storm system here in the Gulf of Alaska -- this moving toward the northwest. And with that, that will bring a chance of showers to a lot of the fire areas Wednesday, Thursday.
FLOCK: So this is Washington and Oregon. We are looking at this system here.
OCHOA: This is the system right here -- right.
FLOCK: And how soon will that be there? What is your model telling you? And what is that going to mean to the firefighters on the ground?
OCHOA: Well, it should be arriving on the coast sometime late today and make it over to the Cascades tomorrow. And so for Wednesday and Thursday, we're looking for the best days for precipitation over in Washington and Oregon.
FLOCK: Yes. Rick, as we look at the other stuff there, I just want to give our viewers the very latest, and that is 10 new large fires that the Fire Center is monitoring today, and the burning of about 300,000 or 400,000 acres is the latest number, right?
OCHOA: Right. That's correct.
FLOCK: What else are you looking at up there?
OCHOA: We're also looking at -- as this system comes in there, we're looking at increasing wind coming in through California, also the Northern Rockies. And so the fires in these areas may see some of the effects of wind, and not so much from this storm with the clouds and rainfall.
FLOCK: So rain is good, and you like to get that system in there and sit for a while.
OCHOA: Right.
FLOCK: But the wind that accompanies it where they don't get precip -- that could be a problem.
OCHOA: That's exactly right.
FLOCK: Got you. OK. What else have you got up on your screen here?
OCHOA: Right here, this model here, we're just kind of correlating how well this numerical model is doing with this storm system here. And right now, it looks pretty good. So we have pretty good confidence that this system will make it down to the Northwest.
FLOCK: Any indication about how long that will sit there? I mean, you're looking at it moving down this way and sitting over Washington and Oregon. How long will it sit there, and will that be enough to knock those fires down?
OCHOA: Well, it will sit over the coast here for about two to three days. And that won't be enough to completely extinguish the fires, but it will sure knock them down for a few days, so we'll get some good work done.
FLOCK: OK. Rick Ochoa, I appreciate the tour.
OCHOA: Yes.
FLOCK: Thanks very much again. This is the intelligence pod here, is that correct?
OCHOA: Yes.
FLOCK: This is where you gain the information about the fire to make the determinations about where things go.
OCHOA: That's right.
FLOCK: Rick Ochoa, we will be back throughout this day, Carol, to give you an up close and personal look at the people that work in this room. This is the real nerve center of the nation's battle against wildfires.
And, of course, as we reported earlier, 241 new fires reported yesterday alone, but most of these -- the vast majority of those, knocked down quickly, but a lot of them have not. And those large fires -- now 40 of them -- still burning.
That's the latest from here -- back to you.
LIN: A lot of work ahead. Thanks, Jeff. And meanwhile, there is a press conference from the Fire Center this morning at 10:15 Eastern Time, and we're going to bring it to you live.
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