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CNN Live Sunday

Teton Fire Estimated at 4,620 Acres

Aired July 29, 2001 - 16:01   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.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: Joe Colwell is the information officer with the National Interagency Fire Center. He joins us on the phone from Jackson.

Joe, we talked to you yesterday; give us an update today. What do you have going?

JOE COLWELL, FIRE INFORMATION OFFICER: Well, right now, as we speak the winds are starting to pick up. And this is the time of day that's been giving us problems here for the last few days. I guess, today we'd have to say we have a little bit more, very cautious optimism. It's not quite as hot and the winds are not supposed to be quite as strong.

We feel like since we have held almost miraculously yesterday and through last night, we have not lost any structures, we are hoping that maybe it won't be quite as bad today and maybe we might start getting a little closer to turning the corner. But we are not there yet; we still have a serious threat.

KELLEY: And you say you haven't lost any structures, but how close is the fire to some homes?

COLWELL: Well, I have heard the term "within yards." In some areas the fire has been spotting and burning around actually between the homes. And we have so many engines and crews in there, that they have been able to jump on those right away. So, we haven't lost the structures, but we have got some burned areas within the home areas itself.

KELLEY: So, yesterday, you even said some of them were up to the door step, and today you say burning between homes. What about evacuations then?

COLWELL: OK, those are the areas that have already been evacuated. Some of them were evacuated I think it was two, three days ago. And so, we have about three major subdivisions that people have been out of their homes for a few days. And they've been going through this -- I guess you'd have to say -- anxiety every day of not knowing if they will a home in the evening or not.

But they are well out of there and they won't be allowed to return in until its declared safe. KELLEY: You talk about that anxiety, Joe, we can see on some of our pictures right now; it says: evacuee information. What are you doing and how are they getting information about their homes, and where the fire is to them?

COLWELL: Actually, we are the main sort of clearinghouse of information center right here. We have been getting dozens and dozens of phone calls from the homeowners that are hanging out somewhere around town, staying with friends, they have been calling us several times a day. We have been the main source of getting information to them, as well as the local radio station -- they have been very good at keeping them informed.

KELLEY: Joe, real quickly, can you refresh our memories: the numbers of firefighters and the equipment.

COLWELL: OK, we've got almost 1,300, over 1,200 total firefighters and that includes 40 crews. That's 800 people on the line itself; 46 engines; 10 air tankers; 11 helicopters; 8 dozers. We have a lot of equipment on this fire.

KELLEY: And the latest we hear, 50 percent contained. Joe Colwell, who is the fire information officer talking with us from Jackson, Wyoming, appreciate it very much. Thank you.

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