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CNN Saturday Morning News

Eastern Arizona Residents Get First Look at Fire Damage

Aired June 29, 2002 - 08:12   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: In eastern Arizona, residents forced to flee their homes are getting their first look at the damage inflicted by the largest fire in the state's history. That blaze has grown to almost 450,000 acres. CNN's David Mattingly is live in Show Low, Arizona with more. Hi, David.

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kyra. At one time yesterday, a spokesman for firefighters said that if they could just hold on to what they had that morning then it would be an exceptional day. Well, today, we're waiting to find out if that modest goal was indeed met last night.

At last word, the fire lines were holding as the wall of flame made advances on communities to the west of us. The flames were menacing. Hundreds of evacuated homes. This is very similar to the situation we were facing here in Show Low earlier in the week, when firefighters made a stand and saved this town. Now, today, we are also waiting to find out when the 7,700 residents here and thousands of other residents from other communities will be allowed to go home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM PAXON, U.S. FOREST SERVICE: The last thing we want to do is to bring evacuees back, let them get in their bed, and wake them up at midnight and say, you have got to get out again. So we're just not willing to be risk-takers or cavalier about this decision.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: Today, residents from some of the burned-out areas will continue to be shuttled into neighborhoods to view the damage to their homes. A total of 423 homes destroyed. The numbers in this Rodeo-Chediski fire continue to break records. Arizona's largest wildfire ever; 447,000 acres, hundreds of firefighters and millions of dollars in damage -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. David Mattingly, thanks so much.

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