- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Friday, August 18, 19899
- Date: Fri, 18 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 18, 1989
*** SPECIAL NOTICE ***
Flags will remain at half staff through the weekend in tribute to Rep.
Leland. The White House has advised us that they are to remain at half
staff until his interment, which is not expected until early next week.
INCIDENTS
89-232 - Anacostia Park - Officer Injury
Early on the afternoon of August 14th, officer Charles Stuby of the Park
Police was injured when thrown from his horse while riding in Anacostia
Park. Stuby was flown by the Park Police helicopter to the MEDSTAR unit of
the Washington Hospital Center, where he was treated for a fractured right
leg. The animal was not injured. (CompuServe message from Dave Blackburn,
RAD/NCRO).
89-233 - Ross Lake - Rock Fall
On August 16th, the North Cascades Highway was closed by a major rock fall.
Because of the size and quantity of material on the highway and the
instability of the rock wall, it's estimated that the highway will be closed
for at least two weeks. (CompuServe message from RAD/PNRO).
89-234 - North Cascades - Accident: No Injuries
On August 16th, rangers in the Skagit District Office received a report that
a visitor had seen an overturned raft in the Skagit River. When ranger
Cindy Crowle arrived on the scene, she was unable to find a raft, but
observed pieces of wood and numerous stuffed animals floating in the river.
Crowle proceeded up river, following the trail of animals. At the end of
the trail, she observed tire tracks and a swath of bent-over trees which
indicated that a vehicle had passed through the area and entered the river.
A number of stuffed animals were seen swirling in a nearby river eddy.
Washington State Patrol officers and Skagit County Sheriffs Department
divers arrived on scene shortly thereafter, and were soon able to determine
that a trailer from a carnival concession had come unhitched and entered the
river. Several hundred stuffed animals have since been recovered. A report
was later received which indicated that a carnival vehicle had been observed
in the area, and that several individuals had been seen looking over the
bank into the river. They apparently decided to leave the trailer behind
and continue on their way. (CompuServe message from RAD/PNRO).
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) FIRE SITUATION: Planning Level IV.
Note: BIFC is remaining at Planning Level IV due to the continuing
involvement of the military. Ware it not for the military, we would
be at Planning Level III.
2) FIRE SUMMARY
The NIFCC report is not available this morning.
3) NOTES - The Service's Wildland Fire Situation Report has been
completed for the period from July 26th to August 16th:
- Fire Danger:
ARO Low
MAR Low
MWR Low-High
NCR Low
NAR Low
PNR Mod-High
RMR Low-High Very High: Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands,
Natural Bridges, Zion UT; Fossil Butte, Grand Teton WY
Extreme: Zion UT; Great Sand Dunes CO; Glen
Canyon AZ; Fort Laramie WY
SER Low-Mod
SWR Low-High Very High: Big Bend TX; Pea Ridge AR
WRO Low-High Very High: Pinnacles, Sequoia-Kings Canyon, Death
Valley, Santa Monica, Yosemite, Whiskeytown CA;
Great Basin NV
Extreme: Lava Beds CA, Hawaii Volcanoes HI
- Wildfire Occurrence:
Region Park # Fires # Acres
Midwest Indiana Dunes IN 2 1
Voyageurs MN 3 1
Pacific NW North Cascades WA 2 0.2
Rocky Mtn Bryce Canyon UT 2 0.2
Colorado Mon CO 2 0.2
Dinosaur CO 2 + 1 carry-over 98
Glacier MT 10 16
Grand Teton WY 7 1
Rocky Mtn CO 3 1
Yellowstone WY 4 3
Zion UT 1 12
Southeast Big Cypress FL 4 309
Canaveral FL 1 0.3
Everglades 7 2,164
Southwest Bandelier NM 4 0.4
Big Bend TX 1 + 2 carry-over 1,050
Carlsbad Caverns NM 4 726
Guadalupe Mtns TX 1 0.1
Western Grand Canyon AZ 32 11
Great Basin NV 1 0.4
Lassen CA 1 0.1
Sequoia-Kings CA 13 2
Yosemite CA 31 11
---- ------
Total 141 4,407.9
- Prescribed Natural Fire Occurrence:
No prescribed natural fires are being conducted, pending revision
and approval of area fire management plans.
- Prescribed Burn Occurrence:
Southeast Big Cypress FL 2 2,600
Everglades FL 1 + 1 carry-over 800
---- ------
Total 4 3,400
- National Situation:
There were a large number of human and lightning-caused fires in
the Rocky Mountain and Western Regions of the National Park Service.
Most of these were controlled during initial attack or soon after,
with small acreages. Large wildfires did occur at Everglades
at Big Bend.
The National Park Service mobilized a large number of people in
support of an interagency mobilization for widespread suppression
operations in Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and California. The peak of the
NPS mobilization occurred on August 8, 1989 when there were
reported to be 783 NPS firefighters and 194 NPS overhead dispatched,
for a total of 977 people.
- Fire Occurrence, Year-To-Date:
Fire Type # Fires # Acres
Wildfires 550 185,000
Natural Outs 51 2,092
Prescribed Natural Fires 0 ---
Prescribed Burns 82 39,182
False Alarms 45 ---
Mutual Aid by NPS 104 8,219
Support Actions 227 ---
STAFF STATUS
Dabney, Healy and Hodapp 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)