Southern California Firefighters Hard at Work Today Battling Two Winter Wildfires
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Southern California firefighters hard at work again today in Southern California, battling two winter wildfires there. The largest and most dangerous blaze rages about an hour north of San Diego. A smaller fire still burns near Anaheim Hills. And for the latest information, El Cajon, California. Audrey Hagen is from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. She joins us now by telephone. Can you hear me OK, Mrs. Hagen?</s>AUDREY HAGEN, CALIF. DEPT. OF FORESTRY AND FIRE PROTECTION: Yes, I do.</s>HEMMER: Tell us we're trying to keep these two fires separate right now, but the one that is burning close to Camp Pendleton, it Seems to be the most precarious right now. Update us on that one first, if you could.</s>HAGEN: Right, that's called the Gavlin (ph) fire, 3,000 acres, 5 percent is contained. The cause is still under investigation. We're still going with a threat to structures. The heavy brush has not burned in 50 year in the area. The winds are down today, which a good sign.</s>HEMMER: Down, you mean eliminated, or down as in softer, relative to how much they bar blowing yesterday?</s>HAGEN: They are very, very still compared to what they were blowing yesterday.</s>HEMMER: How much is that helping you now?</s>HAGEN: That is helping a great deal, because it's not moving the fire at a rapid rate, so we're trying to get -- we've got an air tanker on it. We've got nine helicopters, so we can get a handle on it today.</s>HEMMER: Also understand the marines there in nearby Camp Pendleton are also pitching in. How are they contributing at this point?</s>HAGEN: They have firefighter out on the fire. They're laying hose line, making fire breaks, just working right side by side with the rest of the firefighters.</s>HEMMER: Got it. I understand 16 homes so far have been destroyed. Are there others that you will put on that list, Miss Hagen, or are other structures in the line of fire at this point?</s>HAGEN: Well, we have 30 homes now that have been destroyed, two fire engines, 10 outbuildings.</s>HEMMER: OK, just making notes on that right now. And also the Anaheim blaze, what is the latest you have on that?</s>HAGEN: Now that I don't have any information on at all.</s>HEMMER: But that at this point, 30 homes, which different from the number we had earlier today. What does that tell you right now about the fire and your efforts?</s>HAGEN: See, this happened probably at the beginning of the fire, when the fire was moving very, very rapid. Now, with the winds dying down, it's helping tremendous with the air drops, with the helicopters working it.</s>HEMMER: Listen, best of luck to you, Audrey Hagen from Southern California. Two different blazes in two different areas, and as you heard, 30 homes have so far been destroyed. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com