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American Morning
Raging Brush Fires Move Closer to Australia's Biggest City
Aired January 02, 2002 - 07:50 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: More homes have burned and more people have been evacuated as raging brush fires move closer to Australia's biggest city, Sydney. ITN's Paul Marshall (ph) has the latest on the fire being fought with the help of the U.S.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL MARSHALL, ITN: You feel safer somehow knowing it's in the air -- this giant machine that makes rain, a helicopter called Elvis. The pilot is an American Kenny Chapman. He's not sure about all this fame.
KENNY CHAPMAN: It's a little embarrassing because this is just our job.
MARSHALL: Elvis is a $19-million American sky crane uncharted to Victoria. The name comes from its time in Memphis. It flies with two pilots and a crew chief. Kenny Chapman's been fighting fires from the air for 30 years, but that one around Epin (ph) and Tora Mora was bad.
CHAPMAN: This was, as far as fire intensity, probably one of the worst I've ever seen.
MARSHALL: The chopper can carry 9,000 blankets of water. They dropped 600,000 liters on that fire.
CHAPMAN: This is the drop button. You just depress this and hold it until the drop is completed.
MARSHALL: The prime minister (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a miracle that it can fly with that water in its belly.
MARSHALL: Mr. Howard says the government will look at getting them for Sydney, Melvin (ph), and Purr (ph). While we were with the crew, they got a call to go to the Blue Mountains again.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Makes screaming noise.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes we're out of here.
MARSHALL: Just doing their job. We love you Elvis.
Paul Marshall, Seven News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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