- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Tuesday, July 3, 1990
- Date: Tues, 3 Jul 1990
RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
CC: RAD Information Net
Day/date: Tuesday, July 3, 1990
INCIDENTS
90-169 - Mount Rainier (Washington) - Air Crash with Multiple Fatalities
According to a UPI story this morning, a small plane carrying six people
crashed yesterday on the south slope of Mount Rainier, killing all aboard.
Search planes found the wreckage near the 12,000-foot level of the mountain
about five hours after the plane had disappeared from air traffic radar.
The plane was a Cessna 210 owned by Aerowest Aviation which had been
chartered by PRCA Pro Rodeo Cowboys, and the passengers were cowboys flying
from Aurora, Oregon, to a rodeo in Ponoca, Alberta. The plane's ELT
activated moments after it dropped off radar screens in the vicinity of the
peak. Several planes and helicopters from Fort Lewis and Portland joined in
the effort to find the downed plane. (UPI, 7/3).
90-170 - Great Smoky Mountains (North Carolina/Tennessee) - Fatality
On the evening of June 30th, 48-year-old R.C. of Gatlinburg was
bicycling on the Cade's Cove loop road when he hit a deer that ran out in
front of him. R.C. went over the bike's handlebar, hit his head on the
ground and was killed. (Telephone report from RAD/SERO, 7/2).
90-171 - Rocky Mountain (Colorado) - Fatality
The park received a report of three kids scrambling on rocks at Twin Sisters
Peak just before 8 a.m. on June 29th. At or about that time, one of the
youths, 15-year-old A.T. of Omaha, Nebraska, slipped and slid 20
feet down the rocks, then fell 50 feet to his death. Rangers were on scene
about 90 minutes later and evacuated the body. A.T. was a member of a
Lutheran church group visiting the park. (Telephone report from J.T.
Reynolds, RAD/RMRO, 7/2).
90-172 - Florissant Fossil Beds (Colorado) - MVA with Fatality
Around 5 p.m. on July 1st, a 1976 International Scout being driven by M.R.
of Colorado Springs rolled over in the park; M.R. was killed and
three of his four passengers were seriously injured. An open keg of beer
was found at the scene of the accident. Colorado State Police are
investigating. (Telephone report from J.T. Reynolds, RAD/RMRO, 7/2).
90-173 - Gateway - Sandy Hook (New Jersey) - Drowning
J.A.A., 23, was swimming approximately 200 yards south of the guarded
area at Gunnison Beach on the afternoon of July 1st when he drowned. His
body was recovered about an hour after the incident. (Telephone report from
Capt. Dale Dickerhoof, RAD/NARO, 7/2).
90-174 - Lassen Volcanic (California) - Burglary
A burglary occurred at the Manzanita Visitor Center during the night of July
1st-2nd. A large safe was stolen which contained about $850 of Loomis
Museum Association funds and approximately $50 in donated funds. The
building is owned by the Forest Service and is run cooperatively with the
NPS. Entry into the building was through a sliding back door after
electrical and telephone lines were cut. The building did not have a
security alarm. (Al Schneider, CR, IAVO, via (CompuServe report from Herb
Gercke, RAD/WRO, 7/2).
90-175 - St. Croix (Wisconsin) - Drowning
On the afternoon of July 1st, B.T., 26, of Coon Rapids, Minnesota,
and three friends were diving into the St. Croix from cliffs on the
Wisconsin side of the river. B.T. had a beer, dove into the river and
landed head first. He told his friends that he was having problems; they
went to his aid, but couldn't hold on to him. B.T.'s body was recovered
later that evening. (Henry Hughlett, CR, SACR, via CompuServe message from
Tom Thompson, RAD/MWRO, 7/2).
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level III
Two or more geographic areas experiencing incidents requiring a major
commitment of national resources. High number of fires becoming Class D
and larger. Additional resources are being ordered and mobilized through
NICC. Type 1 teams are committed in two or more areas, or 300 crews are
committed nationally.
2) FIRE SUMMARY
State Agency Area Fire Acres Status
CA USFS Cleveland Bedford - T1 4,500 Yes
Los Padres Paint - T1 4,200 Yes
Plumas Greenhorn 480 Yes
CO USFS Gunnison Horsefly - T2 3,875 Yes
Alpine Plateau 180+ None
BLM Montrose Menefee Mountain 1,110 Yes
Grand Junction *Canyon Creek 100 Yes
Craig *Hammond 250 None
AZ USFS Tonto Dude - T1 (3) 28,480 CL 7/10
Coronado Maverick 800 CN 7/10
BIA Fort Apache Stago - T2 1,500 None
B33 1,500 None
AZ State Montosa - T2 10,410 Yes
Wreck 250 None
NM USFS Cibola Apache 216 CN 7/3
Santa Fe Commissary - T2 235 Yes
NPS Guadalupe Mtn. Frijole - T1 6,014 Yes
BLM Las Cruces *Gillespie 800 CN 7/3
NM State Long 290 CN 7/3
Corral 500 CN 7/4
*Last Day 7,000 CN 7/3
NV BLM Elko Crittenden 200 Yes
ID BLM Boise F012 634 Yes
Salmon Tower Creek 1,000 None
NE NE State *Corkscrew 1,000 None
FL NPS Everglades *Foot 150 CL 7/2
AK FWS Yukon Flats *A013 15,000 None
A121 5,200 None
*A115 600 None
NOTES:
- Fires - Asterisk indicates newly reported fire. T1 and T2 indicate
assigned Type I and Type II Teams.
- 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.
- Agencies - All BLM areas are districts; CDF is California
Department of Forestry.
3) FIRE NARRATIVES -
- Frijole Fire (Guadalupe Mountains) - The fire has been contained,
and management of the incident is to be turned back over to the
park today.
4) FIRE ACTIVITY - 220 fires for 6,500 acres in past 24 hours.
5) FIRE DANGERS - The following parks are experiencing high to
extreme fire clanger this morning:
High Very High Extreme
Yellowstone Bryce Canyon Scotts Bluff
Amistad Mesa Verde Fort Union
Carlsbad Caverns Jewel Cave Salinas
El Morro Big Bend Canyon de Chelly
El Malpais Fort Davis Chaco Culture
Lassen Sunset Crater Hubbell
Pinnacles Wupatki Navajo
Sequoia/Kings Padre Island Death Valley
Lake Meredith
White Sands
Grand Canyon
Hawaii Volcanoes
Lava Beds
Great Basin
6) ANALYSIS - Progress continues to be made on several large fires in the
Southwest. Extreme conditions continue to be reported in several areas
of the Southwest, California, Alaska, Great Basin and the Rockies.
As of yesterday, there were over 14,000 firefighters in the field
nationwide. The NPS currently has 140 firefighters and 53 overhead
personnel committed to fire suppression efforts. The majority are on
fires located in Texas, Arizona and California. National parks report
the following this morning:
* Grand Teton - Thunderstorms on the 1st downed trees and knocked out
power. Aerial detection flights were to be conducted yesterday.
* Yellowstone - Thunderstorms started two new confirmed fires, and
there were two other smokes the park was unable to locate. The
fires were less than an acre and were controlled.
* Big Cypress - The Baxter Island prescribed burn went well on the
30th. The burn will be continued when prescription parameters
are met.
* Everglades - Two fires were reported on the 1st and three more
on the 2nd. The Foot Fire was still active yesterday, but rain was
headed reward it.
* Lava Beds - The park had a five-acre fire which has been controlled.
7) PROGNOSIS - The potential for human-caused fires is increasing as the
4th of July draws closer. Heavy demobilization from the Southwest is
expected as fires reach containment. Fire activity is expected to
increase in Colorado, Utah, Nevada and Alaska.
(Telefaxed report from Reed Detring, Branch of Fire, Boise, 1300 MDT, 7/2;
NPS National Wildland Fire Summary, 0430 MDT, 7/3; NICC Intelligence
Section, Daily Situation Report, 1630 MDT, 7/3; NICC Intelligence Section,
Fire Management Situation Report, 0530 MDT, 7/2).
OFFICE NOTES
1) Donald C. Cross passed away from heart failure in Sonora, California, on
June 26th following several months of ill health. Don, who had a 40-year
pin for government service, is remembered for bringing the Yosemite fire
management program to its present distinction. Letters and cards can be
sent to his surviving daughter, Lynn Cross, at P.O. Box 715, Murphys,
California 95247. (Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO).
STAFF STATUS
- Division Chief: Dabney on AL (7/2-6).
- Branch of Resource & Visitor Protection: Loach on AL (6/18-7/9);
Henry on SL; Halainen on AL (7/2-7/4).
- Branch of Fire: Hurd meeting with branch staff in Boise (7/2-7/5).
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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