- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Friday, August 11, 1989
- Date: Fri, 1 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 11, 1989
INCIDENTS
89-217 - Big Bend - Successful Rescue
Late on the afternoon of the 11th, K.H., a peregrine falcon
researcher, fell while retrieving a falcon egg shell for pesticides analysis
on Lost Mine Peak in the Chisos Basin. K.H. was jumaring up a 700-foot
face when he had some type of equipment failure and fell 30 feet. His
companions sought assistance from the park, and a Customs Blackhawk
helicopter was subsequently employed to ferry climbers and equipment to the
mountain top. A ranger was lowered 550 feet over the edge to secure K.H.,
who was then lowered an additional 150 feet to the ground. He was admitted
to Brewster Memorial Hospital with fractured ribs and vertebrae. (Charlie
Petersen, BIBE, via CompuServe message to RAD/SWRO and RAD/WASO).
89-218 - Olympic - MVA with Fatality
W.L., 67, of Forks, Washington, was driving along Highway 101 on the
8th when her vehicle went off the road several miles from Lake Crescent and
struck a tree. She was not wearing seatbelts, and apparently died on
impact. (Chuck Janda, OLYM, via CompuServe message from RAD/PNRO).
89-219 - Redwoods - Drug Arrest
On August 8th, four park rangers and two Del Norte County drug officers
served a search warrant on K.C., 47, of Wilson Creek, California,
who lives in an NPS-owned, leased-back residence within the park. They
arrested K.C. for possession of illegal drugs, and seized marijuana plants,
marijuana and "crank" with a total value of $28,000. (Bill Donati, CR,
REDW, via CompuServe message from RADAJRO).
89-220 - Hawaii Volcanoes - VB? Visit
Reggie Walton, a former District Court judge from Washington, D.C. and
currently the number three deputy under William Bennett, Director of the
Office of National Drug Control Policy, visited the park along with several
DEA agents on the 8th and was shown helicopter rappel techniques and drug
eradication practices employed locally by park rangers. Walton is charged
with the coordination of state and federal agencies in the war on drugs.
(Paul Ducasse, LES, HAVO, via CompuServe message from RAD/WRO).
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) FIRE SITUATION
Planning Level IV.
The national fire situation continues to improve due to increased
moisture and overall lower temperatures.
There were 958 crews and 3,117 overhead personnel committed to Western
fires yesterday, but demobilization is well underway - 57 crews were
slated for demobilization yesterday and another 30 today. As of Thursday
evening, the NPS had 589 firefighters and 161 overhead personnel
committed to fires. These numbers represent a significant drop from the
736 firefighters and 191 overhead in the field on Wednesday.
2) FIRE SUMMARY
State Agency Area Fire Acres Contain
MT USFS Nez Perce NF Curren Mt. - T1 6,855 8/10
ID USFS Boise NF Lowman Comp. - T1: 44,156 8/14
USFS Boise NF Warm Lake Comp. - T1:
Bear Creek 6,300 8/12
Lunch 8,873 8/12
Horn Creek 3,073 8/13
USFS Boise NF Riordan Lake - T2 3,100 8/17
USFS Payette NF Foolhen Comp. - T2 (2):
Needles 2,700 8/10
Dollar 10,450 None
USFS Payette NF Partridge Comp. - T1:
Partridge 8,050 None
Goat 260 None
USFS Payette NF Steamboat Comp. - T1:
Wangdoodle 7,689 8/15
Steamboat 1,990 8/15
USFS Payette NF Game Creek 2,454 None
USFS Payette NF Two Point 767 None
USFS Payette NF Hand Creek 558 None
USFS Payette NF Sheepeater 343 None
OR USFS Wall.-Whit. NF Enterprise Comp. - T1:
Summit - T1 7,000 8/11
USFS Wall.-Whit. NF Emmet Comp. - T2:
Sheep 5,811 8/10
Lily Pad 1,519 None
Baldy 1,401 8/11
FL NPS Everglades *Missile 818 Yes
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) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE:
Current fire danger readings in the parks are as follows:
- Extreme: No parks reported extreme fire dangers yesterday.
- Very High: Lava Beds NM (California); Fossil Butte NM (Wyoming);
Sequoia/Kings Canyon NP (California).
- High: Nine Western parks reported high fire dangers.
(Correction: On yesterday's morning report, we inadvertently moved
Great Sand Dunes several hundred miles south across the New
Mexico border and shipped Sequoia/Kings to Hawaii. We are happy to report
today that hastily ordered satellite imagery confirms their continued
presence in, respectively, Colorado and California).
* Everglades:
On August 9th, lightning started the Missile fire, which burned
818 acres before being controlled yesterday.
* Sequoia and Kings Canyon:
Most of the small fires started by lightning on the 7th and 8th
are now controlled.
* Yosemite:
Most of the small fires started by lightning on the 8th are now
controlled.
* Grand Canyon:
Lightning caused two new fires in the park yesterday, and more
were expected as fuels began to dry. Neither fire burned more
than an acre.
4) FIRE ACTIVITY - 362 fires for 1,472 acres in last 24 hours.
5) ANALYSIS - Demobilization is underway on large fires in Oregon.
Numerous new ignitions are being detected daily as lightning
activity continues throughout the West.
6) PROGNOSIS - New fires are expected to remain small with fire
dangers remaining in the moderate range. Demobilization should
increase from fires in the Northwest and Idaho as more containment
targets are reached.
(NIFCC Intelligence Section, 0530 MDT, 8/11/89).
OFFICE NOTES
1) ALL AREAS: DEWA ranger Robert J. Webb had his cordovan leather R&R
commission case stolen from his vehicle in San Diego on August 7th. The
badge number is unknown, but the commission number is # 17569.
STAFF STATUS
Dabney, Hodapp and Loach on AL. Andy Ringgold is acting chief of Ranger
Activities.
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)