RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

Attention: Directorate
           Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
           CC: RAD Information Net

Day/date:  Wednesday, May 10, 1989

INCIDENTS

89-59 - Kenai Fjords/Katmai/Aniakchak - Follow-up on Oil Spill

Katmai - Beach cleanup has begun in the park. Crews contracted for by Exxon
will be picking up oiled debris from beaches, beginning with Hallo Bay. A
crew of 20 people is being employed there; some crew members are working on
the beach, while others are shuttling bags and barrels of oiled material to
a command ship offshore. Low impact cleanup techniques will be employed
along the coast. The crews will be collecting oiled, dead wildlife and
oiled debris, and will be allowed to remove only the first inch of oiled
beach sand with hand tools. Any mechanical cleanup or deeper cleanup of
oiled beaches will not occur until a further analysis of effects is
conducted. NPS rangers will be with the cleanup crews to oversee the
operation and provide protection from bears. ATV's will be allowed below
the mean high tide line to help move bags and barrels of oiled material to
the waterline for transfer off the beach.

Aniakchak - The Coast Guard reports that there is a sheen offshore of
Aniakchak. Boats working in the area report collecting 297 birds and two
otters from Chiniak and 120 birds and six otters from Swikshak. High winds
prevented much shore work on the 8th. (John Quinley, PA/ARO).

89-84 - Lake Mead - Diving Fatality

On the morning of May 7th, D.D., 63, of Coronado, California, was
diving with a friend in Ringbolt Rapids on Lake Mohave. D.D.
apparently was swept into some logs and limbs and was unable to get himself
free. When he failed to surface, his partner sought assistance. Park
divers recovered D.D.'s body four hours later. (Ann Betus, RAD/WRO).

89-85 - Lake Mead - Boating Fatality

On the night of May 5th, six people were injured in an accident in Echo Bay
when their boat hit a rock outcropping at a high rate of speed. B.G.F.,
47, of San Bruno, California, later died of his injuries in a
Las Vegas hospital. There was no evidence that alcohol was a contributing
factor in the accident. (Ann Betus, RAD/WRO).

89-86 - Golden Gate - MVA with Two Fatalities

Four young people were in a vehicle moving at a high rate of speed on
Conzeiman Road in Marin Headlands on the night of May 6th when the driver
lost control and the vehicle went over a cliff. All four people were
ejected. Two unidentified males, including the driver, are in critical
condition; the two female passengers, M.H., 21, and A.Z.,
22, both Mexican nationals, were killed. (Ann Betus, RAD/WRO).

89-87 - Great Smokies - Rescue of Hiker

On the morning of May 6th, H.K., 23, of Concord, Massachusetts, was
hiking two miles south of Clingman's Dome when lightning struck a nearby
spruce tree, passed through the ground and knocked her over. H.K. suffered
a head injury in the fall. Fellow hikers carried her to a nearby shelter,
then summoned help. A 20-person rescue team comprised of rangers and
members of a local rescue squad carried her out because severe weather
precluded air evacuation. H.K. was taken to the Sevier County medical
center, where she was treated and later released. (Pete Hart, CR, GRSM,
through Steve Smith, RAD/SERO).

89-88 - John Day Fossil Bed - Flood Damage

On the evening of May 5th, the park received an inch and a half of rain in a
brief period. The water did not damage any structures, but did cause heavy
trail damage in Blue Basin, wiped out a park road to a nearby spring (but
did no damage to the spring or park water lines), and silted-in irrigation
ditches which supply water to fields in the historic district. A privately
owned residence in the park suffered major property damage, but the building
itself was not harmed. One lane of a highway leading to the park was closed
by the state, as were the trails in Blue Basin. (Elizabeth McCallum,
RAD/PNRO).

FIRE ACTIVITY

1) FIRE SITUATION

a) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

* Tamiami Fire - Everglades - 450 acres:

An arson fire which was set on the Tamiami Trail west of Shark Valley on the
afternoon of the 8th quickly spread to about 450 acres by yesterday morning
and threatened facilities at Shark Valley. The fire is burning in sawgrass
and hardwood hammocks and being pushed by southeast winds. A total of 85
people, including a Forest Service crew, and two helicopters have been
assigned to the fire; three engines are standing by for structural
protection, but the buildings at Shark Valley now appear to be safe. There
was no acreage increase during the remainder of the day. Containment is
projected for Friday, but may occur before then.

b) OTHER AGENCY

* Polk #2 Fire - State of Florida - 2,000 acres:

Containment was projected for yesterday evening.

2) FIRE ACTIVITY - 138 fires for 7,215 acres reported on Tuesday.

3) ANALYSIS - Extensive thunderstorms throughout the west continue to
produce new ignitions. Additional smokejumpers have been mobilized in the
southwest. Lack of precipitation in the southeast has resulted in extreme
fire behavior and control problems on fires in Florida.

4) PROGNOSIS - High winds coupled with extreme conditions and on-going
thunderstorms could result in problem fire activity in the southwest. No
resource shortages anticipated.

(NIFCC Intelligence Section, 1800 MDT, 5/7/89; report on Tamiami Fire from
Scott Erickson, CR, EVER via Steve Smith, SERO, and Judi Zuckert, REM, NPS,
Boise).

OFFICE NOTES

1) Rocky Mountain region has concluded a very successful SCUBA refresher and
basic SCUBA class. There were a total of 36 participants, including dive
masters, beginners, and those seeking refresher training. Three regions
were represented. The Submerged Cultural Resources Unit provided
instructors. (Butch Farabee, RAD/WASO).

2) The flying statistics for the Service for 1988 have been compiled.
During 1988, pilots logged 20,252.8 hours in 101 different aircraft at a
cost of $10,518,580 - up from 18,065.6 hours and $5,002,260 in 1987. About
96% of the hours were logged in 35 NPS areas. The figures do not include
military or "flight-for-life" flights. (Butch Farabee, RAD/WASO).

STAFF STATUS

Hodapp in Rocky Mountain at resource threats workshop, Butts at North
Atlantic region chief rangers' conference on Cape Cod, Loach in Taos at ARPA
conference, Farabee in New Orleans at NASAR conference.

Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities

Telephone: FTS 343-4874/6039 or 202-343-4874/6039
Telefax: FTS 343-5977 or 202-343-5977
CompuServe: WASO-RANGER