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CNN Sunday Morning

Flames Still Rage in Arizona

Aired June 30, 2002 - 11:01   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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Now the latest on the arrest of a suspect in the big wildfire in Arizona. He is scheduled to appear before a federal magistrate just a short time from now, and today, the flames are still raging out of control on the fire's western edge.

CNN's David Mattingly is keeping track of the story in Show Low, Arizona.

Hi there, David.

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka.

We're standing outside the command center here in Show Low and we're going to use some of these maps that they have here to help give you an idea of what's been going on here.

Authorities all along have suspected arson in this case. The fire started on the Ft. Apache Indian Reservation, just north of the town of Cibecue. And you see, this is where the Rodeo fire started, and then spread, and then eventually connected to the Chedeski fire, which started over in this area.

Now, this larger map shows the fire in its total area that it's now colored. Each of these red color-coded areas indicates the particular day that the fire spread, so you can see each day by day it's been covering a lot of territory.

We're over here in Show Low. The main activity right now is over in the Western edge. This is where firefighters are trying to keep the fire going, through these canyons, sort of like the fingers that you see here, going through those canyons. They're setting fire breaks, fire lines, here, hoping to protect it, hoping to protect the community that's up here.

Now there are three communities up here that are still threatened by the fire. They are still evacuated at this hour.

At this time, though, over here in Show Low, where we are, over here on the western -- I'm sorry, on the eastern side of the fire, the all-clear has been sounded. And we were in the Show Low neighborhoods yesterday as the neighbors -- as the residents began coming back to their neighborhoods for the first time, and we were there for the emotional homecoming.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Tears of joy for Dennis and Darlene Scholtz.

DARLENE SCHOLTZ: I haven't cried this whole time. I haven't been really emotional this whole time. It's just getting home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

SCHOLTZ: It feels good.

MATTINGLY: The home they left a week ago in the fire-threatened town of Show Low, Arizona still standing, untouched. The sprinkler they left running on the roof turned off and not needed.

NELLA EGNOR, SHOW LOW RESIDENT: When I left Saturday at the bottom of the hill it looked like fireworks.

MATTINGLY: There was a collective sense of relief and gratitude as Show Low residents like Nella Egnor finally returned to the homes they were certain would not survive the worst forest fire in state history.

EGNOR: Oh it seems wonderful. I just want to thank all the firefighters and everybody that worked so hard to save our homes. They were wonderful.

MATTINGLY: It was just four days ago that firefighters still could not say for certain that Show Low could be saved. It wasn't until hundreds of acres of burnouts were set by crews to clear the forest of fuel, but the fire slowed and stopped at the south edge of the city limits, less than a half mile from Galen Thomas' (ph) house.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I feel like I want to do cartwheels.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're home.

MATTINGLY: But through the joy, the gratitude, and relief there is also sorrow. Thoughts of how communities west of Show Low and the people whose homes are among the hundreds that could not be saved.

And as they go about the task of getting on with their lives, Show Low residents say they will be ever mindful of the destructive power behind the fire that continues to menace other communities and how close it came to taking away everything they had.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MATTINGLY: And adding to the emotions of the day here, are the -- there's going to be a news conference a little bit later today, giving us more information about the arraignment and the arrest of the suspect. That will be at 11:00 Arizona time, 2:00 PM Eastern.

Fredricka, back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thank you very much. David Mattingly, from Show Low.

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