- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Friday, August 4, 1989
- Date: Fri, 4 Aug 1989
RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
CC: RAD Information Net
Day/date: Friday, August 4, 1989
INCIDENTS
89-198 - Bryce Canyon - Follow-up on Lightning Injury
C.B., the concession employee who was struck by lightning on July
26th, died of her injuries on the 30th after life support systems were
removed. Memorial services will be held for her at the Bryce Canyon Lodge
at 3 p.m. MDT this Sunday. A board of inquiry has been held, but no changes
in policies or procedures are being recommended. (BRCA report via
CompuServe to RAD/WASO).
89-207 - Lake Mead - Climbing Fatality
On August 2nd, 21-year-old D.B. of Alto Loma, California, was
rock climbing at Wildburro Bay with two companions when he fell 70 to 80
feet to his death. None of the three climbers was employing safety aids.
(Dispatch, LAME, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO).
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) FIRE SITUATION: Planning Level IV.
A period of cooler weather allowed some effective control action over the
past two days, particularly in Oregon. Fire control in central Idaho was
hampered by afternoon winds. Many fires remain unmanned; additional starts
were reported and manned in Wyoming by NPS crews. Numerous small fires
smolder throughout the Northwest. A high pressure dome is moving back into
the area, which will cause humidities to decrease and temperatures to
increase. It is expected to remain in the area for the next five days, and
no major changes are predicted in the long range forecast.
As of yesterday evening, there were 924 crews and 2,783 overhead in the
field. Another 148 crews and 407 overhead personnel were on order, but only
five crews were available. Fourteen of 18 Type I teams have been committed.
The NPS had 601 firefighters and 150 overhead people committed to fires,
with another 346 firefighters and 117 overhead personnel available at their
home stations. By Saturday, it's estimated that there will be 1,000 crews
committed to the fires, including four battalions of Army personnel from
Forts Lewis, Carson and Reilley.
NIFCC is currently planning for an extended period of fire activity. A
limiting factor will be the three-week turnover for firefighting personnel.
As time limits are reached for federal and state crews, replacement crews
will be needed. Regional fire coordinators need to be aware that additional
requests for crews and overhead may be forthcoming to the NPS.
2) FIRE SUMMARY
State Agency Area Fire Acres Contain
MT USFS Nez Perce NF Jnsn. Butte - T2 7,820 8/4
USFS Nez Perce NF Curren Creek - T1 6,150 None
BLM Miles City Forest - T2 820 Yes
BIA Crow Agency Pryor Gap - T2 590 None
ID USFS Boise NF Lowman Comp. - T1: 30,584
Lowman - None
Iron Triangle - None
Gold Fork - None
USFS Boise NF Warm Lake Comp. - T1:
Dollar Creek 6,008 None
Bear Creek 3,112 None
Lunch 5,287 None
Horn Creek 1,950 None
Yellow Jacket 1,152 None
*Pepper Creek ? None
USFS Boise NF Riordan Lake - T2 2,200 None
USFS Payette NF Partridge Comp. - T1:
Elk Meadows 500 None
French Fry 165 None
Partridge 8,270 None
Goat 239 None
USFS Payette NF Steamboat Comp. - T1:
Wangdoodle 3,787 None
Zena 1,235 None
Steamboat 1,995 None
USFS Payette NF Game Creek 500 None
USFS Payette NF Two Point 400 None
USFS Payette NF Hand Creek 800 None
USFS Sawtooth NF McPhearson 1,930 8/5
USFS Salmon NF Powerline - T1 620 8/5
BLM Idaho Falls *Cedarville 2 900 None
State - Fleming - T2 6,200 8/3
State - Eagle Nest 2,380 8/4
State - Spruce Creek 700 None
NV BLM Elko *Pony Creek 550 8/4
NM NPS Carlsbad Cavern *Yucca Mouth 400 None
TX NPS Big Bend *Hannold 1,000 8/4
OR USFS Malheur NF Glacier Comp. - T1:
Fire 115 9,230 8/4
Fire 96 386 8/4
USFS Wall.-Whit. NF Tanner Gulch Comp. - T1:
Tanner Gulch 4,700 None
Summit Lake 100 8/5
USFS Wall.-Whit. NF Enterprise Comp. - T1:
Canal - T2 23,350 8/6
Summit - T1 9,960 None
Lookout 1,200 8/6
USFS Wall.-Whit. NF Emmet Comp. - T2:
Sheep 4,520 None
Lily Pad 1,220 None
Baldy 480 None
Casey Springs 230 None
Emmet 380 None
USFS Wall.-Whit. NF Pine/Clear - T2 785 None
USFS Wall.-Whit. NF Monument Rk. - T2 13,315 8/4
CA USFS Cleveland NF Vail - T1 10,780 None
USFS Sierra NF Balch - T1 4,500 None
NOTES:
- Agencies - All BLM areas are districts; CDF is California Department of
Forestry.
- Fires - Asterisk indicates new fire.
- Areas - T1 and T2 indicate assigned Type I and Type II Teams.
- Contain - Containment dates are estimates; "none" means no estimate;
"yes" means the fire has been contained.
3) FIRE NARRATIVES
a) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE:
* Big Bend:
The Hannold fire started from a lightning strike at about 5:30 p.m. on
the 2nd. The fire burned in brush and grass. The visitor center was
threatened on Wednesday, but a successful burnout prevented any
damage to the building. Hand crews and four engines were employed
on the fire, and the fire should be contained by local resources if
weather conditions cooperate.
* Carlsbad Caverns:
The Yucca Mouth fire is burning at the mouth of Yucca Canyon at
the base of an escarpment and is not yet under control. Because
park firefighters had been committed to western fires, the park employed
rural fire companies and a Mescalero hand crew on the fire. The NPS
crew (Southwest Grey #1) was also recalled from its staging area in
Albuquerque. Three engines are committed at this time, and two more
crews are being requested. No air support is available.
b) OTHER AGENCIES:
* Time constraints preclude summarizing non-NPS fires.
4) FIRE ACTIVITY - 116 fires for 12,399 acres in last 24 hours.
5) ANALYSIS - Favorable weather conditions continue to moderate fire
behavior on complexes in Oregon and Idaho, and firefighters are
approaching containment on a number of them. New ignitions in the
northern Rockies and extreme burning conditions on fires in
California are generating new orders for already critically low
reserves of resources. Military assistance in the fire situation
is accelerating as personnel, aircraft and equipment are being
mobilized.
6) PROGNOSIS - No relief from current conditions is foreseen unless
a major change in the weather occurs.
(NIFCC Intelligence Section, 0530 MDT, 8/4/89; overall summary and NPS fire
info prepared by Rich Bryant, Jan Wobbenhurst and the staff of the Branch
of Fire Management in Boise).
OFFICE NOTES
1) Larry Hakel, chief ranger at Shenandoah, is in RAD today to do some
preliminary work on assembling a vertical user's group to work on the
computerized incident reporting system. The meeting is tentatively planned
for the last week in September at a site as yet to be determined. Larry
will be contacting regional chief rangers today to discuss potential
candidates for the meeting.
STAFF STATUS
Kreis on lieu day, Healy on AL.
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
SEAdog: 1/650 (Phone:343-6014; BAUD:2400)