ad info

 
CNN.comTranscripts
 
Editions | myCNN | Video | Audio | Headline News Brief | Feedback  

 

  Search
 
 

 

TOP STORIES

Bush signs order opening 'faith-based' charity office for business

Rescues continue 4 days after devastating India earthquake

DaimlerChrysler employees join rapidly swelling ranks of laid-off U.S. workers

Disney's GO.com is a goner

(MORE)

MARKETS
4:30pm ET, 4/16
144.70
8257.60
3.71
1394.72
10.90
879.91
 


WORLD

U.S.

POLITICS

LAW

TECHNOLOGY

ENTERTAINMENT

 
TRAVEL

ARTS & STYLE



(MORE HEADLINES)
 
CNN Websites
Networks image


Morning News

Firefighters Keeping Watch on Hot Spots in Southeastern Washington State

Aired June 30, 2000 - 10:05 a.m. ET

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

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: There is good news to report from the fire lines in southeastern Washington state. Crews there have apparently reigned-in that wildfire that has charred almost 200,000 acres and marched across the site of the nation's largest depository of nuclear waste.

CNN's Rusty Dornin, watching that story, live now from Richland, Washington, with more -- Rusty.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bill, the winds could kick up later this afternoon, there's always that concern. But firefighters say they are very optimistic that they've got a handle on this fire. In fact, they dropped back to what they call a defensive mode where they are just monitoring hot spots.

Now that has enabled thousands of evacuees to return to their homes. Including the entire town of Benton. Some 1,200 people who were evacuated, were able to return to their homes. Although more than 20 homes burned to the ground during this wildfire, which incinerated just about everything in its path.

Now Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson is here, and he did speak to CNN earlier and did talk about the fears of contamination. He says that federal, state and local authorities say there are no signs of any soil, air contamination or anything leaking from the underground tanks as a result of this fire.

But there is always concern and he says there are no absolutes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL RICHARDSON, ENERGY SECRETARY: Because of very strong precautions that were taken, such as buffer zones between the radioactive sites and the brush fire; because of some gravel that was brought in; because we secured some of the plutonium sites before the fire came in; because we had state, local and federal efforts together, we were able to contain any potential damage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DORNIN: Now the secretary is going to be taking a tour this morning of the reservation and of the areas where the fire came very close and also the areas where the underground contamination is stored. He has also said to be touring an evacuee center nearby. Then he will return here to the federal building in Richland and he will be giving a press conference on his findings.

Rusty Dornin, reporting live, in Richland, Washington.

HEMMER: Rusty, let's look at the past 48 hours. It started at 20,000 acres, quickly built to 100 and then from 100 to 200 in almost no time. Was this just wind or were there other factors?

DORNIN: No, Bill, in a situation like this when you have sage brush, that's all that's burning. I mean, the word wildfire is what it is. It races at incredible speeds across the desert here, the high desert. And it just incinerates things -- anything that's in its path.

The good thing about it is once it has scorched the Earth, there is really no fuel behind it, you know, to -- left smoldering, and that kind of thing. So once they can get a perimeter around the fire and the winds have died back a little bit, they were able to lay down enough retardant that they could stomp out the flames; and before it got close enough to the Hanford sites.

HEMMER: That was a big one, we'll keep our fingers crossed for today and the rest of the week, and, Rusty, thanks.

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

 Search   


Back to the top  © 2001 Cable News Network. All Rights Reserved.
Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines.