RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                       MORNING REPORT

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

Day/date: Wednesday, April 25, 1990

INCIDENTS

90-71 - Cape Cod (Massachusetts) - Arson

A dune shack located in the park's North District was destroyed by fire on
the night of April 20th. The fire was discovered the next afternoon by the
shack's caretaker and park rangers were notified. The shack, which is one
of several such buildings acquired during the establishment of the park and
in use under a life tenancy agreement with its previous owner, had recently
been used by a mentally disturbed person. The caretaker had asked the
person to vacate the premises by the 21st. The subject, who is a suspect in
the fire, is currently in the custody of Wellfleet PD on charges related to
vandalism and public disturbance in an area church on the 21st. (CompuServe
message from Dennis Burnett, DR, CACO, 1 p.m. EDT, 4/24/90).

90-72 - Saguaro (Arizona) - Biking Fatality

On April 21st, D.P., 46, of Tucson, was fatally injured when he
lost control of his mountain bike on a steep grade on the Nine Mile Loop,
left the roadway, then fell and struck his head. Rangers and an ambulance
were at the scene within six minutes and immediately began CPR and advanced
life support procedures. They were unsuccessful. D.P. was pronounced
dead on arrival at a nearby medical facility. (Bryan Swift, CR, SAGU, via
(CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 4:30 p.m., 4/24/90).

90-73 - Fort Jefferson (Florida) - Rescue

Late on the morning of the 20th, rangers received a radio call from the
sinking 62-foot shrimp boat "Captain Bly", which was reported to be three
and a half miles north-northeast of Pulaski Light in ten-foot seas. The
Coast Guard was notified, and rangers Carolyn Brown and Allen Brown (no
relation) responded in an 18-foot Boston whaler. A Coast Guard helicopter
was dispatched at the same time. The rangers arrived at the reported
location, which was just outside the park's boundary, and pulled the captain
and two crewmen from the water just before the "Captain Bly" rolled over and
sank. One of the crewmen apparently suffered a heart attack after being
taken on board the whaler. The USCG helicopter air-lifted him off the boat
and took him to a hospital in Key West, where he is reported to be in stable
condition. The Coast Guard is conducting the clean-up of the area since the
ship's captain had officially abandoned the ship. (Telefaxed report from
Ken Morgan, CR, EVER, 12:30 p.m. EDT, 4/24/90).

90-74 - Biscayne (Florida) - Search

On the morning of April 21st, the owner of one of the last private
residences on Elliott Key discovered a Cuban refugee in the house and
summoned park rangers. Investigation revealed that the refugee, L.C.S.,
22, had come ashore earlier that morning. He and a
companion, J.R.N., 22, had left Cojimar, Cuba, a week earlier,
anticipating a two or three-day trip to Florida. They had run out of water
and food after a few days, and were dehydrated and suffering from exposure
by the evening of the 20th. The northerly currents of the Gulf Stream had
carried them past most of the keys, but a strong northeast wind that evening
pushed the raft toward shore. Even though they tied themselves to the raft
before falling asleep, J.R.N. slipped off the inner tube raft sometime
during the night. A search was immediately begun by the park. Florida
Marine Patrol and USCG aircraft coordinated their air search efforts with
park rangers, but no sign of J.R.N. was found. Because of the unknown
point of disappearance and the large area already searched, the aircraft
suspended the search at the end of the 21st and returned to their bases.
The search was continued on water and renewed by air on the 22nd and 23rd,
but without any further luck. L.C.S. was turned over to INS agents for
processing at the Krome Detention Center. (Telefaxed report from Wayne
Landrum, CR, BISC, via Capt. Steve Alscher, RAD/SERO, 5 p.m. EDT, 4/23/90).

90-75 - Petrified Forest (Arizona) - Drug Arrest

When 29-year-old W.D. of San Jose, California, entered the park
on the 18th, marijuana and a "roach clip" were observed in plain view in his
vehicle by the entrance station attendant. Rangers subsequently stopped
W.D. and searched his 1985 S-10 Blazer; they found just over five ounces
of marijuana and assorted paraphernalia. W.D. was arrested and turned
over to Apache County officers. Apache County is a "zero tolerance" county,
and authorities plan on seizing W.D.'s Blazer if he is found guilty of
narcotics violations. (Julia Yazzie, PEFO, via CompuServe message from Herb
Gercke, RAD/WRO, 4:30 p.m. EDT, 4/24/90).

90-76 - Channel Islands (California) - Rescue

On April 21st, D. and G.D., ages 30 and 32, of Granada
Hills, California, lost their 19-foot Galaxy when it sank in rough seas
three miles north of the park's Anacapa Island. The two men, who were
dressed in trousers, flannel shirts and ski jackets, remained in the 54-
degree water for an estimated three hours until they were recovered. Park
rangers Beth Fulsom and Talmadge Magno responded to the scene of the sinking
after they heard VHF radio reports of debris in the area of the accident.
The two men were located, and the rangers administered advanced life support
to D.D.. The victims, who were suffering from shock and
hypothermia, were medevaced to a mainland hospital by USCG helicopter. The
rescue was timely, as the victims would not have survived if they had spent
much more time in the water. (Dispatch, CRTS, via CompuServe message from
Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 4:30 p.m. EDT, 4/24/90).

90-77 - Joshua Tree (California) - Search and Rescue Incidents

Over the course of the past weekend, park rangers were involved in a number
of significant incidents:

* On the 22nd, a 37-year-old man who suffers from cerebral palsy abandoned
his horse when it became balky and refused to continue. A search which
involved 60 persons was initiated, and the victim was found at 3 p.m. He
was suffering from dehydration compounded by other medical problems, and was
medevaced to a hospital for treatment. He is reported to be in satisfactory
condition.

* A 21-year-old local resident was bitten by a rattlesnake on the lower leg
while hiking. An EMS team was sent to the scene, took immediate action and
medevaced the victim to a local hospital, where he was treated and released.

* A female juvenile found a live military anti-intrusion grenade, pulled the
pin and detonated the device. She was engulfed in flame and phosphorous,
which was extinguished by her mother, who transported the child to a medical
facility. The child's grandmother, who was also at the scene of the
incident, fell and dislocated her hip and fractured a femur during the
incident. A search of the area was corrected, but no further ordinance was
found. The search, however, lead to the following.

* Rangers discovered the 19th clandestine drug lab found along the park's
boundaries over the past three years. The lab was in Long Canyon, just a
hundred yards outside the boundary. Discarded chemical containers and
numerous empty M-16, AK-47, 9 mm. and 45 caliber shell casings were found at
the site. Riverside county sheriff's deputies are investigating, and a
hazardous materials disposal unit cleaned the area of toxic materials.
(Paul Henry, CR, JOTR, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO,
4:30 p.m. EDT, 4/24/90).

90-78 - Death Valley (California) - MVA Fatality

On the 22nd, J.C., 51, of Ridgecrest, California, was ejected from a
van during a one-car accident at Wildrose Junction and died of multiple
injuries. The California Highway Patrol is investigating the incident.
(Dale Antonich, CR, DEVA, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO,
4:30 p.m. EDT, 4/24/90).

FIRE ACTIVITY

1) FIRE SITUATION - Planning Level I.

2) FIRE SUMMARY

State  Agency      Area             Fire                    Acres  Contain

MN     FWS/MN    Agassiz NWR       Elm Lake                 28,300  Yes
       MN            -            *Wannaska Complex          7,298  4/24

NOTES:

- Agencies - All BLM areas are districts; CDF is California
  Department of Forestry.
- Fires - Asterisk indicates newly reported 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 AC1IVTTY - 665 fires for 8,329 acres on Monday.

4) ANALYSIS - Moderate to high fire activity is occurring in Minnesota, with
minor fire activity in the Southeast.

5) PROGNOSIS - Fire activity is expected to continue in the East.

(NIFCC Intelligence Section, 0530 MDT, 4/24/90)

STAFF STATUS

- Division Chief: Dabney at USFWS law enforcement review commission meeting,
  Arlington, VA (4/23-26) and AL (4/27).

- Branch of Resource & Visitor Protection: Loach in Alaska (4/23-27).

- Branch of Fire: Gale instructing on ICS and fire management at Albright
  (4/26-27); Erskine at WRO fire officers1 meeting in Tucson (4/23-25);
  Norum at fire management analysis and planning assistance session at
  Cumberland Island (4/23-27).


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)