- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Monday, July 9, 1990
- Date: Mon, 9 Jul 1990
RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
CC: RAD Information Net
Day/date: Monday, July 9, 1990
INCIDENTS
90-183 - Jefferson National Expansion (Missouri) - Veiled Prophet Fair
The Tenth Annual Veiled Prophet Fair, which is billed as the nation's
largest Fourth of July celebration, was held on park grounds from June 30th
to July 4th. One North Atlantic Region and three Midwest Region special
events teams assisted the park staff in providing security and assistance to
the nearly three million visitors who attended the four-day festival. The
park issued special use permits to the City of St. Louis, the Veiled Prophet
organization, and seven organizations that conducted "First Amendment"
demonstrations or petition gatherings; ten other groups or individuals were
removed from the park's grounds for undertaking similar activities without
permits. Twelve arrests were made and over 50 citations were issued, but no
major crimes were reported or investigated. Rangers also provided
information or interpretation to an estimated 30,000 people during the
event. The temperature on the Fourth reached 102 degrees, a new all-time
high for the date, and the humidity was around 65%. Heat-related illnesses
among visitors were therefore extensive. (Beryl Stone, CR, JEFF, via
CompuServe message from RAD/MWRO, 7/6).
90-184 - Kenai Fjords (Alaska) - Air Crash with Multiple Fatalities
At 1 p.m. on June 25th, a Harbor Air Service Cessna 207 flying out of Seward
with four sight-seeing passengers from the cruise ship Universe disappeared
while returning from a flight over the park. An air search was initiated by
the USAF Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) with Civil Air Patrol (CAP)
aircraft. Up to seven airplanes were involved in the search, and were
assisted by NPS personnel in a helicopter. On June 29th, a USAF helicopter
crew located the plane's wreckage on the Aialik Peninsula in the park. The
Cessna had crashed at the 2,700-foot level on the steep, 2,800-foot peak.
All five aboard the plane were killed on impact. On July 1st, state
troopers, park personnel, a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
inspector and four mountain rescue volunteers reached the site via
helicopter and a 175-foot rappell. The remains were recovered and removed.
NTSB is investigating the crash. The pilot may have flown into a cloud and
hit the mountain. (Peter Fitzmaurice, CR, KEFJ, via CompuServe message from
RAD/ARO, 7/6).
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) 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
WY NPS Yellowstone Washburn - T2 220 CN 7/9
MT USFS Bitterroot *Sabe Creek 400 None
AZ USFS Coronado Maverick 800 CN 7/10
FL NPS Everglades *Wood 2,580 CN 7/9
*Graveyard 3,140 CN 7/9
AK FWS Yukon Flats A121 - T2 69,000 None
Kanuti A185 18,340 MS
Yukon Delta *A204 4,680 MS
Koyukuk *A213 8,000 MS
*A237 675 MS
*A238 5,000 MS
NPS Denali A148 (West End) 50,000 MN
*Sandless 450 CL 7/7
AK Tok Area A156 - T1 44,170 None
*Porcupine - T1 1,140 None
Southwest Area Crooked Creek 10,330 None
004011 3,000 MS
*004013 3,000 MS
*004014 500 MS
*004032 8,010 MS
*004035 6,060 None
*004009 200 MS
*A162 130 MS
Fairbanks Area *Pedro Dome - T2 910 Yes
*011128 3,000 None
*011103 1,230 MS
*011150 360 MS
*011155 800 MS
*011139 2,200 MS
Delta Area *012046 500 None
Tanana Zone A225 150 None
*A212 1,400 Yes
*A222 1,550 MN
*A225 750 None
*A233 600 None
*A235 20,000 None
*A297 6,000 MS
*7A298 2,000 MS
Galena Zone *A239 6,700 MS
*A245 1,500 MS
Upper Yukon Zone *A299 150 CN 7/8
BLM Tanana Zone A200 15,000 MS
Galena Zone A184 100 None
*A168 500 MS
*A205 350 MS
Native Tanana Zone A218 2,500 MS
Kenai/Kod. Area *A247 750 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) NARATIVES -
- Washburn Fire (Yellowstone) - On Friday, the park assigned a Yellowstone
Type II team (Terry Danforth as IC) to the fire, which was burning in
lodgepole pine on the walls of the Yellowstone River Canyon east of Mt.
Washburn. Steep slopes and the lack of helicopter landing sites
hampered access to the fire. Explosives were employed to build fireline.
The fire was 60% contained yesterday, and full containment is expected
today. The fire is in a permanently closed bear area, where numerous
bears and cubs have been seen. Appropriate precautions are accordingly
being taken.
- West End Fire (Denali) - This fire, previously reported as the Kantishna
Fire, continues to burn within the extensive limited suppression zone
that encompasses the northern part of the park. Perimeter mapping is
difficult due to the dense smoke. The fire is burning in black spruce
and feathermoss fuels with flame lengths on the ground of from one to
four feet and possibly some short range spotting. The fire is also
burning up against a large 1986 burn.
- Everglades (Florida) - Five fires were ignited by a lightning storm on
July 5th and are burning in prairies along the coast which are
surrounded by mangroves and water. Two fires were controlled after
burning just over 1,100 acres; the Wood and Graveyard Fires will
continue to burn until all fuel is consumed within confinement
boundaries.
4) FIRE ACTIVITY - 111 fires for 95,524 acres in past 24 hours.
5) NPS FIRE DANGERS - The following parks are experiencing high to
extreme fire danger this morning:
High Very High Extreme
Grand Teton Padre Island Lake Meredith
Yellowstone Denali Death Valley
Cape Cod Wrangell-St.Elias Yukon-Charlie
Everglades Noatak
Indiana Dunes
Wilsons Creek
Carlsbad Caverns
Guadalupe Mtns.
Grand Canyon
Lava Beds
Pinnacles
Santa Monica
Sequoia/Kings
Whiskeytown
Kobuk Valley
6) ANALYSIS - Fire indices in the Southwest and Rocky Mountains have
moderated with the onset of the monsoon season. Fire activity in
Alaska has moderated with cooler temperatures and higher humidity.
As of last Friday, the National Park Service had 81 firefighters, 11
monitors and 94 overhead personnel committed to fires nationally.
Rick Gale, Rod Norum and Paul Broyles from the Branch of Fire have
been assigned to the Alaska Area Command in Fairbanks.
National parks report the following this morning:
* Guadalupe Mountains - Patrol, monitoring and bucket drops on
the controlled Frijole Fire continue. Rehab work is beginning
on the Smith Springs trail.
* Olympic - Lightning fires on the 5th and 6th produced same
sleepers. The fires are burning in thick duff and heavy fuel
loads. No control problems are expected.
7) PROGNOSIS - Moderate fire activity is expected.
(Telefaxed report from Ken Hay, Branch of Fire, Boise, 7/6-9; NPS National
Wildland Fire Summary, 0430 MDT, 7/9; NICC Intelligence Section, Fire
Management Situation Report, 0530 MDT, 7/9; NICC Intelligence Section, Daily
Situation Report, 1630 MDT, 7/8).
CALENDAR
Asterisk (*) indicates new entry; plus (+) indicates revised entry.
Brackets at end of entry indicate source of information:
July 29 - 31 - "Wildlife 2001: Populations", Oakland Airport Hilton Hotel,
Oakland, CA. An international conference for research workers and agency
personnel with interest in the science, conservation and management of
vertebrate populations, exclusive of fish and primates. Sponsored by The
Wildlife Society and Department of Forestry and Resource Management,
University of California, Berkeley. For further information, contact Dale
McCullough (415-642-8462) or Reg Barrett (415-642-7261).
August 5 - 9 - "Recapturing a Vanishing Heritage", Twelfth North American
Prairie Conference, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa. For
further information, contact Twelfth North American Prairie Conference, 2759
McCollum Science Hall, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA 50614.
[Kurt Topham, HEHO]
September 11 - 13 - EMS Coordinators1 Training, Albright Training Center.
More information to follow. [Butch Farabee, RAD/WASO]
October 13 - 19 - "Natural Areas and Yosemite: Prospects for the Future",
Yosemite (10/13-14) and Sheraton Conference Center, Concord, CA (10/15-19).
Sponsored by The Natural Areas Association, Yosemite NP, and The Yosemite
Fund. Inquiries should be directed to Coordinator, NA/Yosemite Centennial
Symposium, GGNRA, Fort Mason Building 201, San Francisco, CA 94123 (415-556-
1009). [Jenness Coffey, RAD/WASO]
November 8 - 10 - "The Spanish Missionary Heritage of the United States",
Fountain Plaza Hotel, San Antonio, TX. For registration information, please
write to Quincentenary Committee, San Antonio Missions NHP, 2202 Roosevelt
Avenue, San Antonio, TX 78210 or call either Racinda Meno or Dr. Art Gomez
at 512-229-5701.
November 12 - 15 - "Resource Technology 90", International Symposium on
Advanced Technology in Natural Resource Management, Washington, D.C. For
more information, contact conference coordinator Janette Evans at 303-226.
1688. Harvey Fleet, NPS-GIS, DSC, is coordinating the "Parks and Protected
Areas" segment of the session. [Kathy Jope, RM)/MARO]
November 12 - 17 - Sixth conference on Research in the National Parks and
Equivalent Reserves, West in Paso Del Norte Hotel, El Paso, TX. Sponsored by
George Wright Society. For further information, call the 1990 Conference
Committee at 415-556-1866. [George Wright Forum].
November 13 - 16 - "Agency and Inter-agency Response to Natural and
Technological Disasters", Sixth Annual Environmental Roundtable, Interlaken
Resort and Spa, Lake Geneva, WI. Sponsored by MWRO, DOI's Office of
Environmental Affairs (Chicago), USFS (Region 9) and EPA (Region 5). For
further information, contact John Townsend, FTS 864-3475. [John Townsend,
MWRO]
November 27 - 30 - Annual regional recreation fee and reservation system
coordinator training, Department of Interior. Benefitting account pays
travel and per diem. Contact Wes Kreis, FTS 268-4205. [Wes Kreis, RAD/WASO]
December 10 - 14 - FMD meeting, location to be determined. [Doug Erskine,
FIRE]
(Calendar appears in each Monday's morning report. If you know of a
conference, meeting or training session with Servicewide interest and
implications, please provide the specifics to Bill Halainen in Ranger
Activities).
STAFF STATUS
- Division Chief: No travel scheduled.
- Branch of Resource & Visitor Protection: Henry on SL.
- Branch of Fire: Norum, Gale and Broyles in Alaska Area Command in
Fairbanks (indefinite); Hoard meeting with fire staff in Boise (7/9-7/13).
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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