Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Wildfires Threaten Arizona Landmark

Aired June 13, 2001 - 11:06   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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: High winds are pushing a fast-moving wildfire. This is in the Ponderosa Pines of Northern Arizona. This blaze here is really getting going strong, more than a thousand acres of the San Francisco Peaks area have already burned. The battle to beat back that fire is really intense right. The region is, for some, a local landmark. For most Native Americans in the are, it is sacred ground. Suzanne Bissett of CNN affiliate KTVK joins us now from Flagstaff, Arizona.

Suzanne, what's going on right now?

SUZANNE BISSETT, KTVK REPORTER: Good morning, Leon. Fire crews have been working around the clock trying to get this fire under control. Last night, the count was at 950 acres. And I'm told today, 1,200 acres have been scorched.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BISSETT (voice-over): One by one, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) bombers took turns hitting their mark. On the ground, thick black plums of smoke rose from the Leroux fire, as a wall of flame quickly made its way up the mountain.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now, we wouldn't even talk about containment. We've not got it contained right now. We've got a plan to contain it, and hopefully, we'll make some progress today. Tomorrow, we'll have our most of our resources here. So, when we get into the operational period tomorrow, we should be able to start talking about what's our probability of some sort of containment.

BISSETT: What started out as an abandoned campfire has now torched hundreds of acres. These blue flags map out exactly where the fire started.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They left heat in the campfire, probably still smoking when they left. Obviously didn't use water.

BISSETT: Containing this fire has been nearly impossible. Wind gusts in excess of 40 miles per hour blew flames across the ground and into the canopies.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were getting some individual crown torching and that sort of thing. It's still running through the grasses and upslope, and it's finding places it can climb a tree and come down.

BISSETT: Today, as 200 firefighters from across the West arrived at base camp, Waltrip (ph) says they'll need all the resources and luck they can get.

We've got a good plan in place. With a little bit of luck, we will be all right.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BISSETT: Firefighters are going to be working also throughout today to make sure the barriers are secure heading into town, but they tell me the fire is working its way up the mountain. So it looks like right now, no homes or buildings are in danger -- Leon.

HARRIS: Well, that part is definitely some good news, Suzanne. Now listen, while you were filing this report, we were out checking with our Chad Myers in our weather center, and he was saying that there's a wind advisory for that area, and as I can see -- I mean, I can see your hair being whipped around quite a bit right now. Are the folks there aware of that and how does the wind right now feel?

BISSETT: Well, the -- I'm sorry, Leon. The wind is a little -- are you asking me about the wind?

HARRIS: I think you answered the question right there.

BISSETT: It is. The wind -- this morning, it was pretty calm but within the last hour, the wind gusts have really started going. Last night, toward the end it started to calm down. But they say, again, the wind is going to pose a problem. They're expecting gusts in excess of 40 miles an hour. So, once the fire hits up into the canyons, all you need are these gusts to start spreading it through the mountain.

HARRIS: Yes, no doubt. Suzanne Bissett, thanks very much. We appreciate it. Suzanne Bissett of KTVK.

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