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CNN Live At Daybreak

Residents Return to Damaged Homes

Aired August 30, 2001 - 07:04   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.
BRIAN NELSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The last several hours have been difficult ones for the 1,200 evacuated residents of Weaverville, California. Most of them are back home now after having to run from a quick moving wildfire. About nine homes were destroyed.

And CNN's Eric Horng is in Weaverville with the latest from there -- Eric.

ERIC HORNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Brian, good morning.

Officials now say they have about 65 percent containment on this fire, which has burned more than 1,600 acres. In the meantime, residents here in Weaverville are counting their losses and their blessings.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HORNG (voice-over): As firefighters continued to put out hot spots, residents of Weaverville took stock of those perilous hours when their town nearly succumbed to a fiery siege. The blaze forced the evacuation of two thirds of this forming mining town's 3,500 residents late Wednesday. They were all allowed to return home.

Frank Dye (ph) said he was surprised to find his house still standing.

FRANK DYE: We were very relieved, yes. You can see on the other side of our house down there the trees are all burned about 100 yards from the house. Yes, I can't say enough about all the help, you know, for the fire and these guys -- I'm very thankful.

HORNG: But others weren't so lucky. The fire destroyed at least nine homes and three R.V.s, reducing household items to ash, leaving stunned residents to sift through rubble. Firefighters, however, were able to save an estimated 200 homes, battling an erratic, fast moving fire fueled by high winds, triple digit temperatures and extremely dry conditions.

UNIDENTIFIED FIREFIGHTER: The fuel moisture levels, the moisture inside the plants and the fuels that we have right now, are at their lowest levels that we have ever recorded since we began keeping track.

HORNG: Though the threat of a flare-up remained, there were signs in Weaverville of a return to normalcy as well as a recognition of how close this town came to disaster.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HORNG: And officials now say the fire was started on Tuesday by sparks from a car. Damage right now estimated at around $3.5 million. That's structures and timber. But the good news in all of this, no one was seriously injured in this fire.

In Weaverville, California, I'm Eric Horng reporting live -- Brian, back to you.

NELSON: Eric, what's the forecast for today?

HORNG: Well, the firefighters now hoping for a break that they got yesterday, the calmer winds. No rain, of course, in the forecast, at least at this point. But they are hoping for those calmer winds, also hoping for temperatures to kind of drop in the mid-90s. That's expected today. They were in the triple digits yesterday. They're also hoping for a little higher humidity. All those factors should help them get even more of a handle on this fire.

NELSON: All right, thank you.

Eric Horng in Weaverville, California.

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