- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Thursday, July 6, 1989
- Date: Thurs, 6 Jul 1989
RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
CC: RAD Information Net
Day/date: Thursday, July 6, 1989
INCIDENTS
89-160 - Cape Cod - Follow-up on Threatened Civil Disobedience
Although a number of ORV group members had threatened to enter closed areas
and burn park buildings over the weekend because of beach closures, no
serious incidents had occurred as of the morning of the 5th. Minor
demonstrations were conducted each day from the 2nd to the 4th by a group of
people from one ORV organization; no more than 50 demonstrators participated
in each event. The park feels that incidents were minimized by the
maintenance of open lines of communications with ORV group leaders and by
the increased law enforcement presence provided by the eight NARO SET
(special events team) rangers, seven Park Police officers and four USFWS
special agents who covered all beach access routes over the weekend. On the
1st, an anonymous caller phoned the regional office and stated that it would
be necessary to keep special agents in Cape Cod for ten weeks if the park
hoped to stop ORV users from entering the closed areas. Contingency plans
are currently being developed to employ NARO SET rangers and Park Police
officers in the park this weekend. (Dennis Burnett, DR, CACO, via
CompuServe message to RAD/WASO).
89-164 - Olympic - Follow-up on Missing Person
On June 30th, park divers found the body of 20-year-old W.V. in
25 feet of water in Lake Quinault, not far from the beach where his clothes
were found on the 29th. There were indications that he had been drinking
heavily prior to leaving his room on that date. (Chuck Janda, CR, OLYM, via
CompuServe message from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO).
89-171 - Mesa Verde - Structural Fire
A fire broke out in a small concessioner facility on Wetherill Mesa late on
the morning of July 1st. There were firefighters on the mesa at the time
suppressing wildfires, and their quick response limited the damage to the
ARA-owned snack bar to between $500 and $700. The fire was caused by gas
leaking from the regulator of a gas-powered refrigerator, which was ignited
by the refrigerator's pilot light. (Telephone report from RAD/RMRO).
89-172 - Shenandoah - Assist to Agency on Armed Robbery
At midnight on July 3rd, a steak house was robbed at gunpoint in Staunton,
Virginia, about 15 miles east of the park. The park received a look-out
notice on the morning of the 4th, and ranger Steve Clark observed a vehicle
with occupants matching the description of the robbers near Thornton Gap
that afternoon. Clark followed the vehicle to a nearby concession facility
while awaiting back-up, but the suspects were able to get into their car and
exit the park on US Route 211 before assistance could arrive. Clark
notified the Virginia State Police, who intercepted the vehicle, arrested
the occupants and charged them with armed robbery. (Greg Stiles, Acting CR,
SHEN, via CompuServe report from Ginny Paci, RAD/MARO).
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) FIRE SITUATION (Planning Level III)
a) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
* No significant fires reported.
b) OTHER AGENCY
* Box Canyon Fire - Craig District, BLM (Colorado) - 2,140 acres:
Hot, dry winds gusting to 25 mph are hampering control efforts.
Estimated containment: 7/6.
* Divide Fire - Gila NF (New Mexico) - 6,500 acres:
A Type I Team (Denton) is working the fire, which continues to
burn in steep, rugged terrain along the Continental Divide. Rain
showers have temporarily slowed spotting problems. Estimated
containment: 7/7.
* Independence Fire - Coronado NF (Arizona) - 130 acres:
A Type II Team has been committed. Estimated containment: 7/6.
* Rodeo Fire - Las Cruces District, BLM (New Mexico) - 400 acres:
A Type II Team is en route. Three ranches are threatened. There's no
estimate of containment.
* Whitlock Fire - Safford District, BLM (Arizona) - 1,000+ acres:
There's no information on the fire, nor any estimate of containment.
* Uinta Canyon Fire - Ashley NF (Utah) - 2,600 acres:
A Type I Team (Russell) is managing the fire. Commercial timber sales
in the area are threatened. Estimated containment: 7/9.
* Ann's Fire - Bridger-Teton NF (Wyoming) - 2,500 acres:
A Type I Team (Raddatz) has been committed. The fire is burning in heavy
stands of lodgepole pine; rapid spread is being exhibited, with rapid
spread and spotting to a quarter mile. Estimated containment: 7/10.
* Rough Canyon Fire - Ashley NF (Utah) -A Type I Team (Caplinger) is being
mobilized to the fire today. No estimate of containment.
* Diamond Peak Fire - Moab District, BLM (Utah) - 7,000 acres:
One repeater has been lost, and a natural gas feeder line has been
ruptured. Estimated containment: 7/10.
* Mariel Creek Fire - Warm Springs Reservation, BIA (Washington).100 + acres:
A Type II Team has been assigned to the fire. No new information
is available.
* Mary Alice Fire - Okefenokee NWR (Georgia) - 600 acres:
A Type II Team has been assigned. No estimate of containment.
* B074 Fire - State of Alaska (Alaska) - 1,500 acres:
Some structure protection is underway. No estimate of containment.
* B073 Fire - BLM (Alaska) - 400 acres:
A Type II Team has been committed. No estimate of containment.
* Crooked Creek Fire - BLM (Alaska) - 2,000 acres:
A Type II Team has been assigned to the fire, and a large burnout
operation is currently underway. No estimate of containment.
* Swinging Dome II Fire - BLM (Alaska) - 11,000 acres:
A Type II Team is managing the fire. Logistical problems are hampering
mobilization. No estimate of containment.
2) FIRE ACITVTTY - 161 fires for 18,826 acres in last 24 hours.
3) ANALYSIS - Competition for resources is beginning to occur as fire
activity accelerates throughout the West and Alaska. The number of
areas reporting extreme conditions continues to increase and now
includes the Southwest, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and portions of
Idaho and the Northwest. Dry lightning has been reported in a band
stretching across Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado, where heavy
utilization of initial attack resources continues.
4) PROGNOSIS - Widespread activity is expected to continue until a change
in the weather occurs.
5) NOTES - The Service's Wildland Fire Situation Report for the period from
June 27th to July 4th has been completed:
- Fire Danger:
ARO Low
MAR Low
MWR Low-Mod Very High: Agate Fossil Beds (Nebraska) and
Scotts Bluff (Nebraska)
NCR Low
NAR Low
PNR Mod
RMR Low-High Very High: Dinosaur, Mesa Verde and Rocky
Mountain (Colorado) and Yellowstone
(Wyoming)
Extreme: Bryce Canyon and Zion (Utah)
SER Low-Mod
SWR Low-High Very High: Numerous areas in Arizona, New
Mexico and Texas
Extreme: Numerous areas in Arizona, New
Mexico and Texas
WRO Low-High Very High: Pinnacles and Sequoia-Kings Canyon
(California)
Extreme: Chiricahua, Grand Canyon and
Saguaro (Arizona) and Lava Beds
(California)
- Wildfire Occurrence:
Region Park Fires Acres
Midwest Scotts Bluff (Nebraska) 1 0.5
Rocky Mtn Mesa Verde (Colorado) 1 0.1
Wind Cave (South Dakota) 2 6
Zion (Utah) 1 1.5
Southwest Bandelier (New Mexico) 1 0.1
Fort Davis (Texas) 1 1.5
Guadalupe Mtns (Texas) 1 10
Salinas (New Mexico) 1 1
Western Grand Canyon (Arizona) 1 0.1
Sequoia-Kings Canyon (California) 2 203
Yosemite (California) 8 1
---- -----
Total 20 224.8
- Prescribed Natural Fire Occurrence:
No prescribed natural fires are being allowed, pending revision and
approval of area fire management plans.
- Prescribed Burn Occurrence:
- National Situation:
Western Sequoia-Kings Canyon (California) 1 55
Yosemite (California) 1 carry-over 50
---- ---
Total 2 105
There were no major fires reported on National Park Service land, despite
numerous areas with very high to extreme fire danger. The largest
wildfire that did occur was the 203-acre Chamise Fire around the
boundary between Sequoia National Park and Bureau of Land Management-
administered land. Only 55 acres burned within the park.
Prescribed burning in giant sequoia groves in Yosemite and Sequoia-Kings
Canyon National Parks in California is continuing. An additional 50
acres was successfully burned in the Mariposa Grove in Yosemite. At
Sequoia, the Tharp's Burn was conducted with treatment of 55 acres.
Scattered overhead and firefighters were dispatched to assist other
agency suppression efforts. Personnel from Grand Canyon, Guadalupe
Mountains, Saguaro, Yellowstone, Dinosaur, and Sequoia-Kings Canyon were
on interagency fire assignments.
- Fire Occurrence, Year-To-Date:
Fire Type Fires Acres
Wildfires 266 193,000
Natural Outs 31 1,348
Prescribed Natural Fires 0 ---
Prescribed Burns 65 30,996
False Alarms 30 ---
Mutual Aid by NPS 57 7,942
Support Actions 67 ---
(NIFCC Intelligence Section, 0530 MDT, 7/6/89; wildland fire situation
report by Judi Zuckert, BFM/Boise).
OTHER NEWS
On June 9th, a jury convicted James and Joseph Pratt of first-degree murder
for the slaying of USFS law enforcement officer Brent Jacobson. The trial
lasted approximately two and a half weeks, and the jurors deliberated more
than 10 hours over two days before finding both of the brothers guilty of
murder and of 15 other felony counts, including kidnapping, robbery,
attempted first-degree murder and aggravated assault. A sentencing date
will be set after mitigation hearings on July 24th. (Susan Sea, USFS).
STAFF STATUS
Ringgold on AL through the 24th; Farabee acting chief, Branch of R&VP.
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