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Morning News

As New Mexico Wildfires Spread, Human Cost Flares

Aired May 31, 2000 - 9:09 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: And now to the latest wildfire near Pecos, New Mexico. It is not far from Los Alamos, where a wildfire destroyed more than 200 homes. In both fires, large-scale evacuations were ordered.

Jeff Zeverly (ph), of our affiliate station KOAT, reports on the fire and also the human cost involved.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF ZEVERLY, KOAT REPORTER (voice-over): From afar. you see billowing smoke, but look closer at the trees within the forest and you focus on a hungry fire. For each acre that turns from green to black, concern grows, as does the attention to this fire storm.

Just look at the all-out firefighting assault from the air, and then imagine you live under that assault, a short distance from the fire's front line. And then a firefighter finally comes to your front door and tells you this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, it is time to go.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, we're ready.

ZEVERLY: Deep in the wooded areas, firefighters spread their warnings quickly, and families pack even faster. The Garcias pack a lifetime of memories, but say they carry their truest treasure in their hearts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We could lose our house or whatever, but as long as we have Jesus Christ in our hearts, that's all that matters.

ZEVERLY: Besides their faith, the Garcias will take their horses.

They also gut their bedrooms and back their trailers knowing that all this stuff may not be here when they return.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just sad. It's just really sad.

ZEVERLY (on camera): Are you worried?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah, yeah.

ZEVERLY: Are people concerned?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes, definitely. It's a real fire danger through here.

ZEVERLY (voice-over): What would you do, if a firefighter told you to leave your property?

Instead of packing this man creates a fire line between the forest and what he owns. Others ran straight to a free shelter, where supplies are still stockpiled from the Los Alamos blaze.

We still don't know what started this fire, whether it was human error or a lightning blast, the forest is dry, and the fight continues both to extinguish and to preserve.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And that was Jeff Zeverly of our affiliate station KOAT.

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

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