Arizona Firefighters Brace Against So-Called 'Pumpkin Fire'; Dry, Hot Weather Expected to Prolong Blaze
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Firefighters in Arizona are digging in and awaiting another charge from the so-called "pumpkin fire" in Arizona. That fire, which was sparked by a lightning strike a week ago today, has engulfed more than 7,500 acres of the Kaibab National Forest. For the latest on what's happening this morning, we turn to reporter Steve Bodinet of our affiliate KTVK with more.</s>STEVE BODINET, KTVK REPORTER (voice-over): This is how most of the country sees the pumpkin fire: smoke and flames miles away. But this is the view those fighting the fire get every day: up close and very personal.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, they're really squarely over here. We're getting 180-degree wind shifts coming around the side of the mountain, so...</s>BODINET: Amid thick smoke and dry grass and pine, this crew from White River literally fighting fire with fire. It's called a burnout, and it's an important weapon against an out-of-control forest fire. (on camera): If all goes well with this burnout, this road will be a lot wider. It'll be a bigger firebreak. And When the main fire hits here, it won't find much to eat.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If it doesn't it the trees too hard, we get a little bit of the trees, and we may take out some of the smaller trees in particular. But we want to reduce the amount of fuels that are there to burn.</s>BODINET (voice-over): While the fuel disappears from this side of fire-breaking road, a flying ember can cause excitement on the other side. But watchful eyes make sure that excitement is put out almost as fast as it starts.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we have quite a few crews out here today to watch for spotting on the other side of the road, and then to initial attack it and capture it before it gets any larger than we can handle.</s>BODINET: A back-burn operation is risky, especially when nasty afternoon winds roar through the trees.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Suppose to be a red flag today, so winds are up to 25-30 miles an hour or so.</s>BODINET: But if the pumpkin is going to be stopped, it has to run out of forest to eat. And it's up to these guys to make sure the cupboards are bare when the fire comes calling.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's our hope, is that when it comes this way, there won't be much for it to do and will just kind of die down and become very much less of threat to the road.</s>KAGAN: And that was Steve Bodinet from KTVK. Let's bring in his coworker, Scott McGee, also with KTVK. He's joining us from Flagstaff, Arizona. Scott, good morning.</s>SCOTT MCGEE, KTVK REPORTER: Good morning, Daryn. Right now I'm in Flagstaff, which is about 15 miles south of where the fire is burning, right over those ridge of mountains behind me. It sits at about 9,000 acres right now. It is fed by high winds and high temperatures. It's what we've had all this week and we're expected some more, actually, over the next couple of days. Right now, 700 firefighters working that fire, although that keeps changing because we have wildfires burning in one area, and then another area. And so they will actually come back and forth as they put out these spots -- hot spots here and there all across the Southwest. Actually, this morning they're going to start lighting backfires, which they're hoping will stop the spread of this fire which is at, right now, at about 30 percent contained. But, Daryn, as they're saying, they're telling us it's going to be probably the end of June before this fire is controlled, and probably even several weeks after that before we stop seeing smoke in this area, which we have seen a lot of as the sun starts getting high around the mid afternoon area and that fire starts really burning -- Daryn.</s>KAGAN: Scott, a lot of folks who think of northern Arizona in the summertime plan on going up to the Grand Canyon. I think you were telling us yesterday about the road to access that. Is that all clear and things are fine to go visit?</s>MCGEE: Yes, actually, the Arizona DPS, the Department of Public Safety, has been able to keep that road open because the smoke has not gotten as bad there. The one mixed blessing with that high winds we've been getting, it has actually blown the smoke enough where it hasn't blocked the vision for drivers on Highway 180, which is one of the main arteries up to the Grand Canyon. So the prospects are good that they will be able to keep that road open. However, anything can happen with the way we've had our weather changes and the hot, hot sun that has baking down on us for the last couple of weeks.</s>KAGAN: And it can do that. It can get warm even in northern Arizona.</s>MCGEE: That's right. You know that.</s>KAGAN: Scott McGee -- I do know that. And I know that bureau from where you're reporting:</s>MCGEE: That's right.</s>KAGAN: The Flagstaff bureau of KTVK. Thanks for joining us this morning.</s>MCGEE: Sure.