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CNN Sunday Morning

Fires Devastate Butte County in California

Aired September 09, 2001 - 08:01   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.
COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: Fire is our top story and we want to get right to that for you now.

It is personal. The Poe fire in Northern California is becoming very painful to the residents of Butte County. That fire has now blackened some 7,200 acres near Lake Orville and is proving extremely difficult to fight because of the high winds and the rugged terrain there. It's only about 20 percent contained at this point.

By contrast, the Darby (ph) fire in Calaveres County, southeast of Sacramento is about one-third that size, and it is about half contained. Dozens of residents in the path of the Poe fire have already lost their homes and all of their possessions, and the danger isn't over yet.

We're going to get an update from Kristen Simoes from our affiliate K-CRA.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... and we're going to put two engines there.

KRISTEN SIMOES, KCRA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As the Poe fire rages through its third night, firefighters from across the state prepare for what has become a very unusual, very challenging firefight.

RANDY DUNN, FIREFIGHTER: They say in these canyons, the wind kicks up, you know, 10:00 at night and goes until about 2:00 in the morning, and that's when, that's when the problem arises.

SIMOES: For residents like David Maestas who listens anxiously to his radio scanner, it's a fire like none this small community has ever seen.

DAVID MAESTAS, RESIDENT: Oh, God, it's been bad. I mean, there's planes coming over the top of the ridge, you know. But they've had the dump crews and the fire teams and they came from L.A., everywhere.

SIMOES: Twenty-six homes have been destroyed, a total of 36 structures in all. And while these rural roads of Yankee Hill and Jarbo Gap (ph) are full of fire engines, there are very few residents who remain. (on camera): What's the hardest part?

MATTHEW HUMPHREY, EVACUATED: The hardest part? Getting out. Because we had to pack all this stuff, we only had like 50 minutes, 15.

SIMOES (voice-over): 6-year-old Matthew Humphrey and his sister Alisa (ph) were evacuated Thursday night. They've spent the past few days helping some other victims.

HUMPHREY: I know every dog here.

SIMOES: More than 25 dogs, 50 cats and a handful of horses have been rescued from the fire lines. Some, like this one, are being treated for severe burns.

BARBARA SHELTON, EVACUATED: They're usually injured or so badly frightened and traumatized that it takes a long time for them to recover.

SIMOES: So, as the sun goes down over Butte County, firefighters gear up once again to battle a blaze that has already claimed dozens of homes, frightened people and pets. A fire they say comes alive late at night.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCEDWARDS: And that report, again, form our affiliate KCRA.

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