Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Sunday

Dry Weather Fuels Wildfires in Three States

Aired July 29, 2001 - 17:00   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.
STEPHEN FRAZIER, CNN ANCHOR: We are going to begin in the West, where fire crews in three states now are making massive assaults against a series of fires consuming tens of thousands of acres. Dry conditions are fueling major blazes in California, Washington and Wyoming.

A 630-acre brushfire northwest of San Bernardino has been contained as of now, meaning it's manageable within borders, but still burning. About 100 people have been evacuated from camp grounds at California's Plumas National Forest, where a 3,000-acre fire is burning. And in Jackson, Wyoming, it's day seven now of a battle against a 4,600-acre fire. Air tankers, helicopters, fire engines and bulldozers all have been mobilized in that all-out effort.

For the latest on the fires, we're joined now by Fields Mosley of CNN affiliate KUTV in Wilson, Wyoming, just west of Jackson. Fields, good to see you again. When we last spoke, this was an all-out attack, but there didn't seem to be any progress, except on isolated pockets. What's next?

FIELDS MOSLEY, KUTV CORRESPONDENT: Well, next, people might get to go back up and see their homes tomorrow afternoon, perhaps, that's if the weather cooperation.

There were tears of joy this morning at a public meeting, as Joe Corbello (ph), the incident commander out here, told people that he was cautiously optimistic. Everything depends on the weather.

Let's go ahead and show you some of the latest pictures we took just this afternoon from our helicopter. You can see how smoky the mountain is now. Corbello (ph) is saying they have this fire 60 to 70 percent contained. Now, there have been fires inside neighborhoods. Yesterday, with high winds gusting to well into the 35 miles an hour range, it pushed fire spots into the neighborhoods within 20 feet of some homes.

However, no structures have burned yet, and that's certainly a relief to home owners here -- Stephen.

FRAZIER: Fields, are they attributing that success to the slime that they used, that fire retardant that they foamed up on the houses?

MOSLEY: That is only part of the attack. The main portion of the attack is with the people that they have on the ground up there. They have 50 fire engines up -- in and around these neighborhoods in these subdivisions, and they have hundreds of firefighters up there.

They are working them in 12-hour shifts, day and night, and they stay there and they put out all of those spot fires. So, as soon as an ember flies off the top of the tree, lands next to a house, they jump on that spot fire and they get it out as best as they can. They have also been doing a little bit of back burning, trying to eliminate some of the fuel sources around homes.

FRAZIER: Have you heard any talk, Fields, of the point -- have they reached the point at which protecting property becomes too dangerous for the people there, and they pull the people out of harm's way?

MOSLEY: As far as firefighters go, no, they have not gone to that point. They still got people up there. Corbello (ph) stresses that if it gets to that point, everybody's lives come first. He will pull those people out in a moment's notice, no matter what property they're protecting at all.

There has been a little bit of talk among residents about protecting property and the cost of protecting property, but fire officials are not making any official statements on that.

FRAZIER: Fields Mosley, reporting to us from Wilson, Wyoming, close to the fires. Fields, thanks once again.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com