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Wildfires Around the World
Aired August 04, 2003 - 15:14 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.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Firefighters in the Western United States are getting some help from the weather as they battle some big wildfires. Light rain and cooler temperatures have made a major difference in efforts to contain a fire near Glacier National Park in Montana. The flames, which have scorched at least 25,000 acres, spread rapidly Saturday and late last week. But officials say yesterday's change in the weather really shut the fire down.
Other wildfire hot spots are in parts of Western Europe and Canada. Portugal is especially hard hit. The situation there is being called a calamity. And today, Portuguese leaders declared a national disaster.
CNN's Paula Hancocks takes a closer look at the devastation in Portugal, other parts of Europe and in Western Canada.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Portugal is suffering its newest forest fires in 20 years. Almost 90 fires are burning throughout the country. Portugal's prime minister is formally declaring the blazes a public calamity mandate, paving the way for compensation claims from those who have lost their homes and lands.
More than 3,000 firefighters and 400 soldiers are battling the Portuguese fires, made worse by a heat wave across Europe and strong winds fanning the flames.
JOANA LATINO, REPORTER: If you think Portugal has 18 districts, almost a third of the country is actually in flames. Several villages were literally invaded by the flames. Many forests are burned. Many were private property. I must say, also, that communications have been destroyed, where people in certain villages are now completely isolated.
HANCOCKS: Many of the fires in the South of France were proved to have been started deliberately. Authorities suspect the same in Portugal.
TORRE DE MONCORVO, PORTUGUESE VICE PRESIDENT (through translator): People in the village saw a small plane throwing something over the forest. A few seconds later, fire broke out.
HANCOCKS: Italy and Morocco have set water planes to Portugal in response to an international call for help.
Italy is battling fires of its own in the Genova and Imperia regions, where helicopters are being used to fight the flames. Spain is also fighting fires that have crossed its border with Portugal. Strong winds are making the fires difficult to contain. And it's not just Europe that's suffering. Canada is struggling with its worst fires in half a century.
DENIS GAUDRY, B.C. FOREST SERVICE: Relative humidities and no rain in sight, which, of course, for us, is not good news.
HANCOCKS: A state of emergency has been declared in British Columbia, where 350 fires have forced the evacuation of 10,000 people.
Paula Hancocks, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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 August 4, 2003 - 15:14 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Firefighters in the Western United States are getting some help from the weather as they battle some big wildfires. Light rain and cooler temperatures have made a major difference in efforts to contain a fire near Glacier National Park in Montana. The flames, which have scorched at least 25,000 acres, spread rapidly Saturday and late last week. But officials say yesterday's change in the weather really shut the fire down.
Other wildfire hot spots are in parts of Western Europe and Canada. Portugal is especially hard hit. The situation there is being called a calamity. And today, Portuguese leaders declared a national disaster.
CNN's Paula Hancocks takes a closer look at the devastation in Portugal, other parts of Europe and in Western Canada.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Portugal is suffering its newest forest fires in 20 years. Almost 90 fires are burning throughout the country. Portugal's prime minister is formally declaring the blazes a public calamity mandate, paving the way for compensation claims from those who have lost their homes and lands.
More than 3,000 firefighters and 400 soldiers are battling the Portuguese fires, made worse by a heat wave across Europe and strong winds fanning the flames.
JOANA LATINO, REPORTER: If you think Portugal has 18 districts, almost a third of the country is actually in flames. Several villages were literally invaded by the flames. Many forests are burned. Many were private property. I must say, also, that communications have been destroyed, where people in certain villages are now completely isolated.
HANCOCKS: Many of the fires in the South of France were proved to have been started deliberately. Authorities suspect the same in Portugal.
TORRE DE MONCORVO, PORTUGUESE VICE PRESIDENT (through translator): People in the village saw a small plane throwing something over the forest. A few seconds later, fire broke out.
HANCOCKS: Italy and Morocco have set water planes to Portugal in response to an international call for help.
Italy is battling fires of its own in the Genova and Imperia regions, where helicopters are being used to fight the flames. Spain is also fighting fires that have crossed its border with Portugal. Strong winds are making the fires difficult to contain. And it's not just Europe that's suffering. Canada is struggling with its worst fires in half a century.
DENIS GAUDRY, B.C. FOREST SERVICE: Relative humidities and no rain in sight, which, of course, for us, is not good news.
HANCOCKS: A state of emergency has been declared in British Columbia, where 350 fires have forced the evacuation of 10,000 people.
Paula Hancocks, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
