European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 24, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 b the stars and stripes thursday october 24,1991oakland s deadly Blaze controlled California Assembly speaker Willie Brown left scrambles Over a burned car while inspecting fire damage with gov. Pete Wilson. Deborah Campbell spokeswoman for mayor Elihu Harris said the Cost of the Blaze was estimated at $5 billion. The great Chicago fire caused an estimated $1.8 billion damage in 1990 dollars. It killed at least 300 people and left san f 90,000 homeless. The Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906 caused $5.1 billion damage in 1990 dollars and the great Boston fire of 1872 caused $815 million damage. President Bush on tuesday declared the fire site a major disaster area opening the door to Federal Aid for the re building. The wooded area with its postcard views of san Francisco Bay was a disaster waiting to happen because of the drought officials said. Many of the areas once elegant Homes were reduced to rubble. White House downplays poll on Bush showing drop in re election support Oakland Calif. A the Brush fire that killed 19 people and incinerated thousands of Homes was brought under control wednesday morning authorities said. A screws Are still mopping up some hot spots but basically we done to expect any problems Quot said Deanna Baxman a spokeswoman for the California department of forestry. The fire was declared under control at 8 . Damage was put at More than $5 billion surpassing the great Chicago fire of 1871 As the costliest Blaze in . History. The fire roared out of control sunday when a Small Blaze that firefighters thought was out flared up. It was declared contained or surrounded on monday. As officials calculated the damage and firefighters battled the last of the hot spots fire chief Phillip Lamont Ewell defended his departments decision not to keep the original Blaze under constant watch after it was believed to be out. He and other Oakland fire officials also dismissed allegations that help from other departments Wasny to called in soon enough. A when you look at a situation from afar its easy to second guess what should have been done a said fire it. Mark Garcia. At least 19 people were killed 148 injured and 5,000 evacuated during the Blaze said sheriffs sgt. Robert Jarrett. Forty nine people were reported missing but Jarrett said some May be out of town or unable to Contact friends or relatives. Quot until there a a dwelling to dwelling count nothing is sure a a he said. Pushed by 25 Mph winds across Brush that had been dried by five years of drought the fire destroyed More than 1,800 houses and 900 apartments City officials  says he won t run for third term Olympia Wash. A gov. Booth Gardner on tuesday ruled out seeking a third term saying the pressure of the Job has begun to affect his health and he needs a rest. A a in be always Felt being governor was an experience not a career a Gardner 55, said at a Capitol news conference with his wife Jean at his Side. A a there a a lot of Wear and tear on one but its been a great  Gardner who leaves office in Gardner january 1993, also said he wont seek fellow Democrat Brock Adams . Senate seat As Long As Adams runs for re election. Gardner denied he was a victim of a popular term limit initiative on the nov. 5 ballot. He predicted the initiative which Woula bar him from a third term would be found unconstitutional by the courts. Ron Dotzauer one of Gardner s closest advisers and an architect of his first Victory in 1984, said Gardner a feels very Good about the Job he a done particularly about the second term and the High profile he a brought to Washington  Washington a president Bush a spokesman on wednesday shrugged off a poll showing president Bush a re election support has dropped sharply since the end of the persian Gulf War. A polls go up polls go Down a said White House press Secretary Marlin Fitz water. A polls never mean anything. The american people know George Bush is doing a great  the Washington Post Abc news poll completed monday night also showed increasing unhappiness with How the president is handling the Economy. In the poll of 1,536 randomly selected americans 47 percent of those questioned said they were inclined to vote for Bush next year but 37 percent said they would Back the act to be chosen democratic nominee. That compared with last March at the end of the persian Gulf War when Bush by the los Angeles times los Angeles a dead men done to Tell talks but in los Angeles at least they can legislate. That was demonstrated tuesday by Howard finn the former los Angeles councilman who died in 1986. A routine motion filed by finn in 1983 was unanimously approved by the City Council on tuesday without debate and without any apparent concerns about the status of the motions author led the democratic candidate by 68 percent to 20 percent. A lbs new York times poll in August found that 44 percent of those surveyed said they would probably vote for Bush in 1992, with 26 percent saying that they would probably support the democratic nominee. The White House routinely dismisses polls that produce findings unfavourable to the president. But it does not hesitate to cite the favourable ones a for instance when Bush touted the recent polls showing overwhelming National support for new supreme court Justice Clarence Thomas. In the new poll Only 37 percent said they approved of Bush s handling of the Economy Down 5 Points from a month earlier poll. Some 70 percent agreed with the statement that Bush a spends too much time on foreign affairs and not enough on problems in this  in through a quirk in City Law Council motions stay current and pending until they Are passed Defeated or filed a no matter How Long it takes. And some have a very Long wait. At least nine former Council members including three who have died have dozens of motions pending. In All records show there Are More than 1,200 motions pending before the City Council with hundreds More than 5 years old and dozens older than a decade. September a 66 percent agreed with that statement. On the polls demonstration of increased unhappiness on How the president is handling the Economy Fitzwater later said a the country is obviously concerned about coming out of the recession. So Are  at the same time Fitzwater said that Bush did not want to Rush to join the bandwagon on Capitol Hill to devise a tax Cut package to Spur economic recovery. Even though the president is considering recommending such a package a at this Point there a been no strategic decision made about How to proceed a the spokesman said. Despite the suggestion that americans feel Bush is spending too Little time on Domestic policy Fitzwater said the president has no plans to Cut his foreign travel which will keep him out of the county for much of november. Finns motion which would limit the length of trucks allowed on City streets to 65 feet languished in the City Council for three years before he died in office. Councilman Hal Bernson who seconded finns motion eight years ago said he was unaware it was one of dozens of items routinely approved tuesday and added that he did not recall its original purpose. A it must have sounded like a Good idea at the time a he said with a smile. Councilman dead but his proposal s revived in