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American Morning

Bush Headed for Arizona as Fire Heads for Show Low

Aired June 25, 2002 - 08:02   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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Up front first this hour, firefighters battling that monster blaze that has clawed its way down to the outskirts of Show Low, Arizona. President Bush on his way there with 330,000 acres and well over 100 homes have already burned.

Charles Molineaux is in Show Low and joins us again with a morning update there -- Charles, good morning.

CHARLES MOLINEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, Bill.

This is really a big day. First off, we've still got this fire bearing down on us in Show Low. It is now less than half a mile away from town and we're getting more evidence about how dramatic a national priority this one has come. President Bush will be coming into the area a little later today. Actually, he left from the White House this morning and he is going to be heading to the Round Valley High School in Eagar. That is east of here.

This is an area where a lot of people have evacuated to. There are hundreds of people scattered out across the Astroturf in a football dome. It'll be a dramatic sight for him, as we are seeing all of these people camped out with their cots and their sleeping bags and their blankets and whatever belongings they have managed to bring with them, waiting to see what is going to happen to their homes, looking on TV for some clue about what has happened to familiar landmarks.

Now, crews were back out on the fire lines overnight. They did do another burnout in an area where they've been trying to create a big fire break. They've been working on this area southwest of Show Low. And what they have said is that if they can hold on for today and into tomorrow, and hold onto these lines, they can create enough of a fire break that the Show Low as well as Lakeside, which is another nearby community, will be, as they put it, pretty secure.

But this is a major national priority. Some 5,000 to 6,000 people are expected to be ultimately working on this fire over the next few days, as a fourth national level type one incident management team gets to work on it. But 330,000 acres have already burned. This fire is immense and is not contained at all. It is totally out of control. Firefighters acknowledge that they are still pretty much at the mercy of the weather, as they wait to see if it does move into Show Low. The prospect of a big wall of fire coming into town has been pretty much ruled out at this point because they have gotten these new fire breaks put in. But the prospect of embers and hot fires in spots, as well as spot fires breaking out here in town is still very much alive. And just to give you an idea of how they're claiming their victories as they get them, yesterday the Forest Service reported quite happily that for the first time in five days they didn't lose any structures. But already close to 200 homes and more than 400 structures have burned up in this one -- Bill.

HEMMER: You have to wonder for the future there, too. So many people talk about tourism in that part of Arizona. We will see.

Charles Molineaux again watching the skies and the fires there in Arizona.

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