- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Thursday, July 12, 1990
- Date: Thurs, 12 Jul 1990
RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
CC: RAD Information Net
Day/date: Thursday, July 12, 1990
INCIDENTS
90-192 - Yosemite (California) - Search and Rescue
On Sunday, June 24th, E.R. went for a day hike in the park but did not
return as planned. E.R. later said that he'd told two friends where he was
going, but neither of them confirmed this. His supervisor reported him
overdue on the 27th when he failed to show up for work for the second day.
An investigation was begun into the matter. On the 29th, rangers contacted
a bus driver who thought he might have left E.R. off at Glacier Point on
the 24th, but a search for a possible suicide victim had been going on in
the area for three days and E.R. had not been seen during that time. On
the 30th, E.R.'s girl friend in New Orleans was contacted, and she reported
that he'd sent her a letter saying he was going to Snow Creek Falls.
Because of three other rescues in progress, the first flight searching for
E.R. was made three hours later at 7 p.m. He was spotted on a small ledge
near the falls fifteen minutes later. Three rangers rappelled 200 feet to
him, splinted his fractured ankle and prepared him for a helicopter short
haul. E.R. was medevaced out just before dark. E.R. told rangers he'd
fractured his ankle when he lost his balance while taking a photo, fell 100
feet, and came to rest on the ledge. He was unable to crawl back to the
trail due to the steepness of the cliff, and could not yell to hikers in the
area due to the roar of the falls. E.R. drank his two canteens of water
the first day; he subsisted on his own fluid excretions and insects for the
next six days. E.R. apparently learned survival skills as an Eagle Scout
and conserved energy by remaining out of the sun and not moving around.
Doctors stated that this conservation of energy may have saved his life, as
it was unlikely that he could have survived another night in his condition
without water. At the time of his rescue, E.R.'s ankle was infested by
maggots and was suffering from gangrene. E.R. was cared for at the park's
medical clinic, then transferred to a hospital. His foot will be saved and
should work well after surgery. (Roger Rudolph, CR, YOSE, via CompuServe
message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 7/11).
90-193 - Yosemite (California) - Conviction
On July 6th, the United States Attorney in Fresno, California, announced
that a federal jury in U.S. District Court had returned a guilty verdict in
the murder trial of S.A.G. S.A.G. was convicted of first degree
murder for killing his wife, D.C.G., by pushing her off a
350-foot cliff in the Discovery View area of the park on December 5, 1987.
S.A.G. told rangers at that time that his wife had disappeared while hiking in
the area. Her body was discovered the following day after an extensive
search, and her death was initially believed to have been an accident.
However, contradictory statements made by S.A.G. concerning the circumstances
of his wife's death led to further investigation by rangers and FBI agents.
It was also learned that S.A.G. had insured his wife of three months for
$437,000 just six weeks before the incident. That investigation led to a
murder indictment against Gray on October 19, 1989. S.A.G. faces a potential
maximum sentence of life imprisonment without parole. Sentencing has been
scheduled for September 10th. (Roger Rudolph, CR, YOSE, via (CompuServe
message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 7/11).
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
ID USFS Idaho Panhandle Flat Creek - T2 182 CN 7/12
BLM Lewistown Shotgun Coulee 120 Yes
MT USFS Bitterroot Sabe Creek 400 CN 8/30
NM State State Bar 400 Yes
NV BLM Elko Black Sheep 850 Yes
Winnemucca *Limbo 1,130 CN 7/12
GA FWS Okefenokee Mitchell I. - T1 3,000 None
AK FWS Yukon Flats A121 - T2 130,000 None
Kanuti A185 18,340 MS
Yukon Delta A204 6,500 MS
Koyukuk A213 8,450 MS
A237 780 MS
A238 5,000 MS
NPS Denali Bear Creek 32,000 MN
Sandless Lake 600 MN
Billberg Lake 300 MN
*Hot Slough 500 MN
AK Tok Area A156 - T1 44,390 None
Porcupine - T1 1,600 None
Southwest Area Crooked Creek 10,330 CN 7/10
004011 2,150 MS
004013 5,550 MS
004014 500 MS
004032 11,320 MS
004035 8,580 None
004009 130 MS
A162 130 MS
Fairbanks Area 011128 3,000 None
011103 1,300 MS
011150 560 MS
011155 800 MS
011139 2,200 MS
A261 800 None
Delta Area 01204 6 2,100 None
012047 150 None
Tanana Zone A225 150 None
A222 1,550 MN
A225 6,400 None
A233 600 None
A235 20,000 None
A297 4,100 MS
A298 3,100 MS
A332 1,000 Yes
A200 18,820 MN
Galena Zone A239 6,700 MS
A245 1,500 MS
Upper Yukon Zone A299 150 CN 7/8
BLM Tanana Zone A200 18,820 MN
Galena Zone A184 100 None
A168 950 MS
A205 350 MS
Southwest Area A377 8,330 None
Native Tanana Zone A218 2,600 MS
Kenai/Kod. Area A247 750 None
Southwest Area A346 120 Yes
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) NPS NARRATIVES -
- Denali (Alaska) -
* Bear Creek Fire - The fire has significantly decreased in intensity
due to rain and cool temperatures. Less than five percent of the
perimeter is burning. The fire is slowly creeping toward the north as
a result of light south winds.
* Billberg Lake Fire - Only five percent of the perimeter is burning
due to heavy rains.
* Sandless Lake Fire - Smoke has been seen on the fire, but there are
no flames.
* Hot Slough Fire - The fire was detected on the 9th and is burning within
the preserve 20 miles southeast of Lake Minchumina. It is creeping
toward the northwest along ten percent of its perimeter. A few visible
flames have been observed. The fire is burning in tundra fuels with an
open canopy of black spruce.
- Big Cypress (Florida) -
* Airplane Prairie RX Fire - Despite thunderstorms on the 10th, park
personnel were able to burn another 500 acres of the 2,000 planned.
The remaining 500 will be burned on the 12th.
* Baxter Island RX Fire - The park planned to burn 1,000 acres yesterday.
- Sequoia/Kings Canyon (California) -
* Ash Mountain RX Fire - The park was to complete a five-acre burn there
yesterday.
- Yellowstone (Wyoming) -
* Washburn Fire - The fire has been contained. There apparently was fire
over the edge of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. The park will
attempt to mop it up with bucket drops due to the steep terrain. The
last two strike teams and base camp will be demobed today. Rehab work
began yesterday.
- Yosemite (California) -
* The park had three small lightning fires with total acreage of less
than an acre on the 10th. All have been controlled. More dry
lightning was expected yesterday.
4) FIRE ACTIVITY - 223 fires for 25,028 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
Cape Cod Padre Island Cumberland Island
Everglades Lake Meredith Yukon-Charlie
Guadalupe Mtns. Lava Beds
Hawaii Volcanoes Pinnacles
Joshua Tree Denali
Sequoia/Kings Wrangell-St. Elias
Great Basin
Kobuk Valley
6) ANALYSIS - Hot conditions, coupled with lightning activity, are keeping
initial attack forces busy in the Northwest, Northern Rockies and Great
Basin. Demobilization of crews and overhead from Alaska is continuing.
Smokejumpers are a priority due to new ignitions.
Rick Gale and Paul Broyles have been demobed from Alaska Area Command;
Rod Norum will return this weekend.
7) PROGNOSIS - Fire activity is expected to increase throughout the West
due to higher temperatures and increased lightning activity.
(Telefaxed report from Ken Hay, Branch of Fire, Boise, 7/11; NPS National
Wildland Fire Summary, 0430 MDT, 7/12; NICC Intelligence Section, Fire
Management Situation Report, 0530 MDT, 7/12).
STAFF STATUS
- Division Chief: No travel scheduled.
- Branch of Resource & Visitor Protection: No travel scheduled.
- Branch of Fire: Norum, Gale and Broyles in Alaska Area Command in
Fairbanks (indefinite); Hurd 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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