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15 Dead in California Wildfires

Aired October 28, 2003 - 15:00   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: In California this hour, another San Diego county community is being evacuated, as the wildfires rage closer. At last report, more than a half million acres in Southern California had been charred and 15 people had been killed. In some areas, firefighters are being pulled off the lines because they are too exhausted to carry on.
Let's get an update now from Los Angeles County and from CNN's Brian Cabell.

Brian, what's the situation where you are?

BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Judy, the situation is not all that bad, as a matter of fact. This is the best day of the last five in items of weather, not much wind.

This is Devil's Canyon that you're looking at back here, about 15 miles northwest of Los Angeles, downtown Los Angeles, normally beautiful, still beautiful. But take a look at that smoke back there beyond the mountain, probably eight, 10 miles beyond us. That's where the fire is raging right now.

In front of us, a rather gray, bleak sight. All of this burned yesterday. All of these mountains around here burned yesterday. Take a look close by here. We're at the fire line, as a matter of fact. This is where they set backfires to protect homes, developments that are right near here, this and a condominium complex right near here, also some multimillion dollar homes over there.

Evacuees left yesterday about 5:00 or 6:00. Authorities came in and said they had to move as the fire approached to within 30 or 40 feet. Evacuees were moving back today. We just caught them in the last hour, as a matter of fact, people moving back in with all their goods that they took with them, and their children as well, relieved, happy. They'd watched the flames last night, some of them from motel rooms.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The motel we were staying at, we could see a beautiful view of the hills. And it just got worse as the night wore on. And we couldn't tell if it was moving further east away or if it was coming down into this area. And it was doing both. And we had no idea. So, yes, I started picturing everything being gone, but what we had stuffed in two cars. So...

CABELL: And what was going through your mind at that point? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kind of resigned myself that, if that's the case, that's the case. We'll have to just rebuild and start over and get all our new things and just start over. That's all you can do. But we're thankful. We prayed about it a lot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABELL: This is the southeastern border of what was known as the Simi Valley fire. And, as I say, it's still going on, but we simply can't see it from here.

Helicopters were here all day dumping water. They're now saying this particular fire is about 10 percent contained. We're waiting for an update on that. More than 90,000 acres burned, 40 homes destroyed, a dozen or so others severely damaged, nobody killed, fortunately, in this particular fire.

And as I say, Judy, right now, winds have died down, so it looks fairly placid, rather bleak, though. This is not what normally this looks like. Normally, there are wildcats out there. There are foxes. There are coyotes. Right now, you see none of that at all. You just see gray, black, mixed in with just a little bit of green.

There is a chance for further fires, little flair-ups. There is some fuel out here, some green trees, some green brush. But right now, firefighters seem to think they have this particular area under control -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: All right, a little bit of good news amidst all the rest of the conflagration, if you will.

All right, Brian Cabell, thank you very much. We appreciate it.

Officials are saying they believe at least two of the wildfires were deliberately set. The San Bernardino Sheriff's Department released a sketch early today of one of the two arson suspects they're looking for. Officials say the cedar fire in San Diego County was caused by a lost hunter who lit a fire to attract attention. But then the winds kicked up and it went out of control.

That same fire destroyed the home of U.S. Congressman Duncan Hunter. He was in Washington at the time. And his family escaped unharmed. The pentagon has approved sending another four C-130 aircraft to California from Wyoming and from North Carolina. The planes have special fire firefighting equipment.

If you need help because of these wildfires, or if you need information about a loved one, here are some of the emergency numbers that you can call, including the Red Cross shelters at 1-866-GET-INFO.

Well, President Bush today expressed his concern for the Californians who are suffering because of the wildfires. Tomorrow, the president may get an earful from Arnold Schwarzenegger. The governor-elect is going ahead with a trip here to the nation's capital to make sure, he says, that California's needs are heard loud and clear. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF (voice-over): Governor-elect Schwarzenegger says he plans to visit some of the areas consumed by wildfires. But first, he says he has business to do in Washington. He plans to reach out to President Bush, who already has declared a federal emergency in California's hardest-hit counties.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR-ELECT: I will be going to Washington, D.C., and to make sure that we get the federal money that the people here in California deserve, the people that have their homes destroyed and their businesses destroyed, so that they can start over again and do it very quickly. That's the key thing.

WOODRUFF: California is spending up to $6 million a day fighting wildfires, another burden on the already troubled state budget. But Schwarzenegger and outgoing Governor Gray Davis seem to agree that this isn't the time to worry about the price tag.

GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: When it comes to putting the fires out, I am marshaling every resource this state has.

WOODRUFF: Davis says he's asked aides to regularly brief governor-elect Schwarzenegger about the wildfires. In the heat of this crisis, they appear to be make good on their promise to put recall election animosity behind them.

SCHWARZENEGGER: I want to thank Governor Davis and his staff. We've had a really good working relationship and he's done everything that he has promised when I was in his office.

WOODRUFF: Schwarzenegger personally said thank you to some firefighters yesterday for risking their lives in the line of duty.

SCHWARZENEGGER: To just let them know what great heroes they are.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: Schwarzenegger's wife, Maria Shriver, went to an evacuation center in San Bernardino yesterday to visit with Californians who fled the wildfires.

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 October 28, 2003 - 15:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: In California this hour, another San Diego county community is being evacuated, as the wildfires rage closer. At last report, more than a half million acres in Southern California had been charred and 15 people had been killed. In some areas, firefighters are being pulled off the lines because they are too exhausted to carry on.
Let's get an update now from Los Angeles County and from CNN's Brian Cabell.

Brian, what's the situation where you are?

BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Judy, the situation is not all that bad, as a matter of fact. This is the best day of the last five in items of weather, not much wind.

This is Devil's Canyon that you're looking at back here, about 15 miles northwest of Los Angeles, downtown Los Angeles, normally beautiful, still beautiful. But take a look at that smoke back there beyond the mountain, probably eight, 10 miles beyond us. That's where the fire is raging right now.

In front of us, a rather gray, bleak sight. All of this burned yesterday. All of these mountains around here burned yesterday. Take a look close by here. We're at the fire line, as a matter of fact. This is where they set backfires to protect homes, developments that are right near here, this and a condominium complex right near here, also some multimillion dollar homes over there.

Evacuees left yesterday about 5:00 or 6:00. Authorities came in and said they had to move as the fire approached to within 30 or 40 feet. Evacuees were moving back today. We just caught them in the last hour, as a matter of fact, people moving back in with all their goods that they took with them, and their children as well, relieved, happy. They'd watched the flames last night, some of them from motel rooms.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The motel we were staying at, we could see a beautiful view of the hills. And it just got worse as the night wore on. And we couldn't tell if it was moving further east away or if it was coming down into this area. And it was doing both. And we had no idea. So, yes, I started picturing everything being gone, but what we had stuffed in two cars. So...

CABELL: And what was going through your mind at that point? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kind of resigned myself that, if that's the case, that's the case. We'll have to just rebuild and start over and get all our new things and just start over. That's all you can do. But we're thankful. We prayed about it a lot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABELL: This is the southeastern border of what was known as the Simi Valley fire. And, as I say, it's still going on, but we simply can't see it from here.

Helicopters were here all day dumping water. They're now saying this particular fire is about 10 percent contained. We're waiting for an update on that. More than 90,000 acres burned, 40 homes destroyed, a dozen or so others severely damaged, nobody killed, fortunately, in this particular fire.

And as I say, Judy, right now, winds have died down, so it looks fairly placid, rather bleak, though. This is not what normally this looks like. Normally, there are wildcats out there. There are foxes. There are coyotes. Right now, you see none of that at all. You just see gray, black, mixed in with just a little bit of green.

There is a chance for further fires, little flair-ups. There is some fuel out here, some green trees, some green brush. But right now, firefighters seem to think they have this particular area under control -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: All right, a little bit of good news amidst all the rest of the conflagration, if you will.

All right, Brian Cabell, thank you very much. We appreciate it.

Officials are saying they believe at least two of the wildfires were deliberately set. The San Bernardino Sheriff's Department released a sketch early today of one of the two arson suspects they're looking for. Officials say the cedar fire in San Diego County was caused by a lost hunter who lit a fire to attract attention. But then the winds kicked up and it went out of control.

That same fire destroyed the home of U.S. Congressman Duncan Hunter. He was in Washington at the time. And his family escaped unharmed. The pentagon has approved sending another four C-130 aircraft to California from Wyoming and from North Carolina. The planes have special fire firefighting equipment.

If you need help because of these wildfires, or if you need information about a loved one, here are some of the emergency numbers that you can call, including the Red Cross shelters at 1-866-GET-INFO.

Well, President Bush today expressed his concern for the Californians who are suffering because of the wildfires. Tomorrow, the president may get an earful from Arnold Schwarzenegger. The governor-elect is going ahead with a trip here to the nation's capital to make sure, he says, that California's needs are heard loud and clear. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF (voice-over): Governor-elect Schwarzenegger says he plans to visit some of the areas consumed by wildfires. But first, he says he has business to do in Washington. He plans to reach out to President Bush, who already has declared a federal emergency in California's hardest-hit counties.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR-ELECT: I will be going to Washington, D.C., and to make sure that we get the federal money that the people here in California deserve, the people that have their homes destroyed and their businesses destroyed, so that they can start over again and do it very quickly. That's the key thing.

WOODRUFF: California is spending up to $6 million a day fighting wildfires, another burden on the already troubled state budget. But Schwarzenegger and outgoing Governor Gray Davis seem to agree that this isn't the time to worry about the price tag.

GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: When it comes to putting the fires out, I am marshaling every resource this state has.

WOODRUFF: Davis says he's asked aides to regularly brief governor-elect Schwarzenegger about the wildfires. In the heat of this crisis, they appear to be make good on their promise to put recall election animosity behind them.

SCHWARZENEGGER: I want to thank Governor Davis and his staff. We've had a really good working relationship and he's done everything that he has promised when I was in his office.

WOODRUFF: Schwarzenegger personally said thank you to some firefighters yesterday for risking their lives in the line of duty.

SCHWARZENEGGER: To just let them know what great heroes they are.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOODRUFF: Schwarzenegger's wife, Maria Shriver, went to an evacuation center in San Bernardino yesterday to visit with Californians who fled the wildfires.

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