RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                       MORNING REPORT

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

Day/date: Thursday, May 31, 1990

INCIDENTS

99-102 - Hot Springs (Arkansas) - Follow-up on Flooding

Cleanup continues in the park following last week's flooding. The Fordyce
Bathhouse Visitor Center had a busy weekend with 1,300 visitors each day on
Saturday and Sunday. Removal of the walls, metal studs, duct insulation and
suspended ceiling framing has been begun in the Fordyce. Thermal waters
were tested and approved by the Little Rock municipal water department
laboratory over the weekend, and all fountains and bathhouses received
thermal water on Monday. Job Corps crews from the Ouachita National Forest
are assisting on cleanup and filling of erosion ditches. Heavy rains
arrived as forecast yesterday, however, so operations were temporarily
suspended. ((3ompuServe message from HOSP-CR received and forwarded by
RAD/SWRO, 11 p.m. EDT, 5/30).

99-109 - Gulf Islands (Mississippi/Florida) - Follow-up on National Park
Service Ranger Killed in Line of Duty

Over 70 rangers and upwards of 200 officers from 35 to 50 law enforcement
organizations - including representatives from virtually all Federal law
enforcement agencies - attended the funeral for Robert MoGhee yesterday in
Ocean Springs, Mississippi. He was later interred in that city. A moment
of silence in his memory was observed at the time of the funeral throughout
the Department of Interior in Washington and by the 200 attendees at a
training session of the D.C. Chapter of the FBI National Academy Associates.

Please remember that cards may be sent to his wife, Linda, at 2700 English
Drive, Ocean Springs, Mississippi 39564, and that donations may be made in
his name to the Employee and Alumni Association, P.O. Box 1490, Falls
Church, VA 22041. (local reports and telephone report from Steve Smith,
RAD/SERO, 6 a.m. EDT, 5/31).

99-112 - Great Smokies (North Carolina/Tennessee) - Cave Rescue

On May 23rd, 24-year-old J.E.M. of Knoxville, Tennessee, and his
companion, T.M., entered Bull Cave, which is just inside the park's
north boundary near Townsend, Tennessee. They reportedly descended 60
vertical feet at the cave's entrance, walked 400 feet, then descended 45
vertical feet to a ledge and another 70 vertical feet from there to a point
below, where they ran out of rope. At about 2:30 p.m., the pair started
climbing back out. After an hour's effort, J.E.M. told T.M. that his
legs were numb and he could not climb any further. T.M. completed the
climb and called for help. The park called a cave rescue team from the
Knoxville Volunteer Rescue Squad for assistance. J.E.M. was reached just
after 8 p.m., evacuated, then transported by ambulance and helicopter to the
University of Tennessee Hospital in Knoxville. He suffered from
hypothermia, but had no other injuries. Neither climber had obtained the
required permit to enter the cave, and legal action is under consideration.
(Jason Houck, CR, GRSM, via CompuServe message to RAD/SERO and RAD/WASO,
5:30 p.m. EDT, 5/30).

99-113 - Ozark (Missouri) - Fatality and Flooding

Shortly after noon on the 25th, 14-year-old A.M. of Fosterberg,
Illinois, drowned while floating with a church group which entered the river
at Aker's Ferry. A.M.'s canoe overturned just below the put-in point when
it hit a tree which had fallen into the river. He did not have a wearable
PFD (life jacket), as the group had opted instead for boat cushions. A
woman counsellor in the group had A.M. in her grasp for a short time, but
was unable to hold onto him. A search for A.M. was begun by rangers,
assisted by several local groups, immediately after his disappearance. The
search was suspended that night. Bogs were used over the weekend, and
reacted at one point on the river. High, fast water prevented divers from
entering the river, however, and a probe search was unsuccessful. At the
same time, heavy rains throughout the weekend caused flash flooding and
raised the river by about 13 feet. Although warned by rangers on Thursday
evening, flash flooding of tributaries caught several riverbank camps
unprepared, and 11 vehicles were caught by the flood waters. Most of them
were recovered on Sunday before additional rain caused the rivers to rise
again. In addition to searching for A.M., rangers were kept busy getting
people off the river and closing (campgrounds which were in flood hazard
areas. Portions or all of campgrounds were closed in most of the developed
areas along the Current River, but waters of the Jacks Fork did not rise
enough to close adjacent campgrounds. The search for A.M. continues.
Damage to park facilities can not be assessed until the waters recede
further. (Telefax from Tom Graham, CR, OZAR, 8 a.m. EDT, 5/30).

FIRE ACTIVITY

1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level II

2) FIRE SUMMARY

State  Agency      Area             Fire                    Acres  Status

AK     AK       State land         Teklanika - T2           15,750  CN 6/2
       AK       State land         A019                        500  CN 5/31

NOTES:

- Fires - Asterisk indicates newly reported fire.
- Status - Containment/control dates are estimates; CN means
  contain, CL means control, MN means the fire is being
  monitored; "none" means no estimate; "yes" means the fire has been
  contained.

3) FIRE NARRATIVES

a) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE:

- N/A

b) OTHER AGENCIES:

- Teklanika (Alaska) - Cooler temperatures have moderated fire behavior.

- A019 (Alaska) - Cooler temperatures and higher humidities are
contributing to control efforts. The fire is 90% contained.

4) FIRE ACTIVITY - 302 fires for 8,423 acres in past 24 hours.

5) FIRE DANGERS - The following parks are experiencing high to extreme fire
danger this morning:

       High                Very High                 Extreme

Indiana Dunes            Cumberland Island        Carlsbad Caverns
Padre Island             Big Bend
Grand Canyon             Guadalupe Mountains
                         Chiracahua

6) ANALYSIS - Fire activity in Alaska is moderating with cooler
temperatures. The fire danger in central and northern Florida remains
high. National parks report the following:

*  Cumberland Island - The park is still in presuppression, MC 4.

* Big Bend - Weather forecasts call for hot and dry conditions to
continue.

*  El Malpais - One-hour and ten-hour fuels are reported to have good
moisture content, but thousand-hour fuels are at 10%.

* Grand Canyon - The fire danger was moderated a bit by .16 inch of
rain. 100% consumption of thousand-hour fuels occurred in 25-acre
prescribed burn.

7) PROGNOSIS - The potential for more fire activity in /Alaska will increase
with forecasted higher temperatures, lower humidities and thunderstorms.

(NIFCC Intelligence Section, 0530 MDT, 5/31/90; NPS National Wildland Fire
Summary, 0430 MDT, 5/31/90).

STAFF STATUS

- Branch of Resource & Visitor Protection: Farabee at NASAR conference in
  Phoenix (5/27-5/31).

- Branch of Fire: Erskine at MAC Group steering committee meeting in Olympic
  (5/30-6/2).


Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities

Telephone:  FTS 268-4874/6039 or 202-208-4874/6039
Telefax:    FTS 268-5977 or 202-208-5977
CompuServe: WASO-RANGER
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