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American Morning

National Guard Moves To Reinforce Western Firefighters

Aired August 17, 2001 - 09:06   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now to the front lines of the fierce western wildfires. Military forces are joining the fight, perhaps today. More than half-a-million acres are burning in 10 western states. Army and Marine battalions will join more than 20,000 weary firefighters. Oregon is being hit hard.

Some 120 troops from the Oregon National Forrest are joining crews on the fire lines. Some prison inmates are helping as well. Three wildfires merged and more than doubled in size near the town of Monument yesterday, Residents are being told that an evacuation could be needed if conditions worsen.

Oregon's neighbor to the north is also being hit hard. A firefighter in Washington state was injured yesterday. Officials have evacuated several homes and cabins because of fire danger.

For the latest on the efforts to combat the fires, let's go to Ruch, Oregon. CNN's Gina London is at a fire base camp. Hi, Gina.

GINA LONDON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, good morning, Kyra. That's right, this is a scene that's also going on throughout the west. Though it's a little farther away of course, the front lines of fire, but right here is base camp for the Quartz fire outside Medford, Oregon. There are about 2100 firefighters and support staff that live and work in this particular base camp.

This behind me, you might be able to see that van, is what is the supply depot. The firefighters come here, they can get pumps, they can get nozzles, they get axes, hard hats, just about anything that they need to go out and wage war with those fires.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): Combating fatigue as much as fire, the battle goes on today through much of the west. Reinforcements are on the way for some exhausted firefighters. Military battalions from North Carolina and Washington state of at least 800 soldiers on alert to be sent in within a week.

GOV. JOHN KITZHABER, OREGON: But this front that's coming through, although it's going to be cooler is going to bring wind with it, then we expect more dry lightning strikes this weekend. So at this point we're OK, but it could out of control. LONDON (voice-over): Of the 10 states now waging wildfire wars, Oregon is the hardest hit. 11 major fires there have scorched nearly 300,000 acres. Hot winds blowing at least 1 within just a few miles of a city limit. National Guard members from around the state have been trained, hundreds joining the fight in earnest today.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: An excellent thing to do to help out the people who are in strife, and to help the brave souls who had been out there for three and a half months already fighting the fires, to maybe give a chance to get out there and give them some relief.

LONDON (voice-over): Across the rest of the fire-torn states crews struggle to continue their grueling pace. Work goes around the clock, many on 14 to 16 hour shifts in efforts to contain each raging blaze.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(on camera): Now back here at the Quartz fire base camp here, in about an hour as we get daylight we should have another shift change. Those newly-trained National Guards men and women will be coming here, getting outfitted at the base camp here at the supply depot, the fire cache van, if you will. Then they will get sent out to assist in this fire. Kyra, Leon.

PHILLIPS: All right. Our Gina London also working 14-hour shifts. Thanks so much.

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