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CNN Live Sunday
Gov. Gray Davis Asks For Federal Disaster Assistance In San Bernadino
Aired October 26, 2003 - 18:46 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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Those wildfires in California are still raging and right now a live picture here in San Bernardino, California where you see right there Governor Gray Davis approaching the microphone. He was just talking with some of the people displaced by the fire.
This is the Federal Disaster Center basically an organizing point in San Bernardino for obviously the American Red Cross and federal fire officials there, Governor Gray Davis seeking federal assistance, disaster assistance for the victims of this fire. It now stands at at least 20,000 homes -- or 20,000 people displaced at least 300 homes destroyed in that region.
GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: I came down here today to spend some time with all the people who have been evacuated from their homes to let them know that my heart goes out to them. Sharon and I we had to move out of our condominium during the earthquake of 1994 and I know what it's like when you're forced to leave your home.
I want to also thank all the volunteers, everyone from San Bernardino County who has given of their time and effort to help fight the fire and to help comfort the people who have been adversely affected by these terrible fires.
Late last night around midnight I signed a declaration of emergency for San Bernardino County and for Ventura County. In a moment, I'm going to sign one that extends that same declaration to San Diego County and to Los Angeles County.
These declarations pave the way for federal assistance and I've written President Bush and asked him to immediately make available financial assistance to help everyone who lost their home or their business in this terrible fire.
Those programs provide low interest loans to help repair or rebuild your home, your business or in some cases public infrastructure, roads or bridges or public entities that have been damaged.
This is a terrible situation. These are the worst fires we've faced in California in ten years and I want you to know that I'm mobilizing every available resource to combat these fires.
Just this morning I made available an additional 650 fire engines, state and municipal fire engines to help combat these fires. I've been in touch with our two United States Senators. I've been in touch with your Mayor Judith Valles yesterday. I've been in touch with the mayor, the Rancho Cucamonga Mayor Alexander, the chairman of the Board of Supervisors, the mayor of San Diego County Dick Murphy.
This is a team effort. We're not Republicans today. We're not Democrats today. We're all Californians. We're all pulling together. We're all doing our best to help get you through this.
I know this is a difficult time. I want to answer individual questions from people who are here but first I want to ask Mayor Valles to speak and then Del Soto (ph) and John (unintelligible) will speak and then I'm going to sign the declarations of emergency and then I'm going to answer questions from the press. Then we'll come by and answer individual questions from the community, so mayor.
MAYOR JUDITH VALLES, SAN BERNARDINO, CALIFORNIA: Thank you. Thank you very much, governor.
LIN: All right, Governor Gray Davis saying that he has formally signed some paperwork that is necessary in order to formally ask President Bush and the federal government to offer federal disaster assistance to the tens of thousands of people who are now being affected by these wildfires in Southern California, wildfires which are burning in four separate areas now.
To the north, up in Simi Valley, you're looking at a picture there of fires raging as we speak. Simi Valley, to the southwest of Simi Valley there are fires burning in Malibu and then further to the east about 100 miles southeast of that region fires still burning in San Bernardino and San Diego Counties, Governor Gray Davis saying that he has spoken to the mayors of several different cities.
He has also made available 650 additional fire engines from state and city firehouses to help battle these blazes so far about 4,000 firefighters working the lines right now.
You've got firefighters coming in. They have a regional system there where when there's a major disaster the California Department of Forestry will organize different city and state fire engine companies to deploy to where the need is greatest.
And right now it's really tough to judge that because the need appears to be so great everywhere, two major fires from yesterday merging into one in San Bernardino, at least two people killed, fire- related deaths there, two people whose car was surrounded by the flames as they were trying to escape.
Down in San Diego County, at least eight people have now died in wildfires there and fire officials are expecting that the death toll may continue to climb; many people still refusing to abandon their homes hoping that they can somehow save their structures and all of their memories, several other people packing up their belongings and literally running for their lives.
We are going to have continuing coverage of this breaking news in Southern California on CNN, the most trusted name in news. Stay tuned.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
San Bernadino>
Aired October 26, 2003 - 18:46 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Those wildfires in California are still raging and right now a live picture here in San Bernardino, California where you see right there Governor Gray Davis approaching the microphone. He was just talking with some of the people displaced by the fire.
This is the Federal Disaster Center basically an organizing point in San Bernardino for obviously the American Red Cross and federal fire officials there, Governor Gray Davis seeking federal assistance, disaster assistance for the victims of this fire. It now stands at at least 20,000 homes -- or 20,000 people displaced at least 300 homes destroyed in that region.
GOV. GRAY DAVIS (D), CALIFORNIA: I came down here today to spend some time with all the people who have been evacuated from their homes to let them know that my heart goes out to them. Sharon and I we had to move out of our condominium during the earthquake of 1994 and I know what it's like when you're forced to leave your home.
I want to also thank all the volunteers, everyone from San Bernardino County who has given of their time and effort to help fight the fire and to help comfort the people who have been adversely affected by these terrible fires.
Late last night around midnight I signed a declaration of emergency for San Bernardino County and for Ventura County. In a moment, I'm going to sign one that extends that same declaration to San Diego County and to Los Angeles County.
These declarations pave the way for federal assistance and I've written President Bush and asked him to immediately make available financial assistance to help everyone who lost their home or their business in this terrible fire.
Those programs provide low interest loans to help repair or rebuild your home, your business or in some cases public infrastructure, roads or bridges or public entities that have been damaged.
This is a terrible situation. These are the worst fires we've faced in California in ten years and I want you to know that I'm mobilizing every available resource to combat these fires.
Just this morning I made available an additional 650 fire engines, state and municipal fire engines to help combat these fires. I've been in touch with our two United States Senators. I've been in touch with your Mayor Judith Valles yesterday. I've been in touch with the mayor, the Rancho Cucamonga Mayor Alexander, the chairman of the Board of Supervisors, the mayor of San Diego County Dick Murphy.
This is a team effort. We're not Republicans today. We're not Democrats today. We're all Californians. We're all pulling together. We're all doing our best to help get you through this.
I know this is a difficult time. I want to answer individual questions from people who are here but first I want to ask Mayor Valles to speak and then Del Soto (ph) and John (unintelligible) will speak and then I'm going to sign the declarations of emergency and then I'm going to answer questions from the press. Then we'll come by and answer individual questions from the community, so mayor.
MAYOR JUDITH VALLES, SAN BERNARDINO, CALIFORNIA: Thank you. Thank you very much, governor.
LIN: All right, Governor Gray Davis saying that he has formally signed some paperwork that is necessary in order to formally ask President Bush and the federal government to offer federal disaster assistance to the tens of thousands of people who are now being affected by these wildfires in Southern California, wildfires which are burning in four separate areas now.
To the north, up in Simi Valley, you're looking at a picture there of fires raging as we speak. Simi Valley, to the southwest of Simi Valley there are fires burning in Malibu and then further to the east about 100 miles southeast of that region fires still burning in San Bernardino and San Diego Counties, Governor Gray Davis saying that he has spoken to the mayors of several different cities.
He has also made available 650 additional fire engines from state and city firehouses to help battle these blazes so far about 4,000 firefighters working the lines right now.
You've got firefighters coming in. They have a regional system there where when there's a major disaster the California Department of Forestry will organize different city and state fire engine companies to deploy to where the need is greatest.
And right now it's really tough to judge that because the need appears to be so great everywhere, two major fires from yesterday merging into one in San Bernardino, at least two people killed, fire- related deaths there, two people whose car was surrounded by the flames as they were trying to escape.
Down in San Diego County, at least eight people have now died in wildfires there and fire officials are expecting that the death toll may continue to climb; many people still refusing to abandon their homes hoping that they can somehow save their structures and all of their memories, several other people packing up their belongings and literally running for their lives.
We are going to have continuing coverage of this breaking news in Southern California on CNN, the most trusted name in news. Stay tuned.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
San Bernadino>
