- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Friday, July 13, 1990
- Date: Fri, 13 Jul 1990
RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
CC: RAD Information Net
Day/date: Friday, July 13, 1990
INCIDENTS
90-194 - Yosemite (California) - Fatality
On July 5th, V.B., 66, a Lebanese native living in Glendale,
California, was reported missing. It was initially thought that he was lost
outside of the park, but his car was found at the Sentinel Dome parking lot
on July 9th. His body was soon found in the Bridalveil Falls drainage near
the rim of Yosemite Valley. V.B. was a camera buff, and apparently
walked west from the parking lot to the point where his body was found.
There was no fall involved and no signs of foul play. His death is believed
to have been from natural causes, but an investigation is underway. (Linda
Abbott, YOSE, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 7/12).
90-195 - Joshua Tree (California) - Fatality
At about 1:30 a.m. on July 12th, J.W., 17, of Huntington Beach,
California, was killed while attempting to "play Superman" by holding on to
the top of a companion's pickup truck while the driver swerved through the
Indian Cove campground trying to throw him off. J.W. was in fact
thrown from the roof, landed on his head, and apparently died immediately.
The California Highway Patrol arrested the driver for felony DUI, and the
park's chief ranger arrested eight more in the party for public intoxication
and possession of alcohol. The group had consumed 52 cans of beer in two
and a half hours and had another two cases of beer in their possession.
(Paul Henry, CR, JOTR, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO,
7/12).
90-196 - Cape Cod (Massachusetts) - Thwarted Suicide Attempt
Just before midnight on the 11th, two seasonal rangers came across and
subsequently prevented a suicide attempt in progress at the Nauset Light
Beach parking lot. The rangers found R.D. of Yarmouth,
Massachusetts, sitting in his vehicle with the motor running, all the
windows rolled up, and a hose running from the tailpipe to the passenger
compartment. R.D., who was still conscious, was transported to a
local hospital by ambulance. It was later learned that he is suffering from
a terminal illness. (CompuServe message from Dennis Burnett, DR, CACO,
7/12).
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 Yes
NV BLM Winnemucca Limbo 1,300 Yes
GA FWS Okefenokee Mitchell I. - T1 4,300 CN 7/18
OR BLM Vale District *Horse Camp 800 None
AK FWS Yukon Flats A121 - T2 155,000 None
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 MN
Southwest Area Crooked Creek 11,330 CN 7/10
004035 17,950 None
Fairbanks Area 011128 3,000 None
A261 800 None
Delta Area 012046 2,100 None
012047 150 None
Tanana Zone A225 150 None
A222 2,580 MN
A225 6,400 None
A233 600 None
A235 20,000 None
A200 18,820 MN
Upper Yukon Zone A299 150 CN 7/8
BLM Tanana Zone A200 18,820 MN
Galena Zone A184 100 None
Southwest Area A377 8,330 None
Native Kenai/Kod. Area A247 750 None
Alaska also has 18 fires under modified suppression strategy
for a total of 89,060 acres.
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) -
* All fires - Moderate to heavy rain fell over the park on Wednesday.
There's no new information on the size or status of any of the
four fires burning in Denali. The forecast calls for more rain today.
- Guadalupe Mountains (Texas) -
* Frijole Fire - Rehab work is progressing well on the Smith Springs
trail where it was used as fireline. Only a few hot spots remain
near the line and anticipated moisture should help significantly.
- Sequoia/Kings Canyon (California) -
* Ash Mountain RX Fire - The burn was suspended at under three acres
on Wednesday.
- Big Bend (Texas) -
* Twin Fire - This five-acre fire was started by lightning on the 11th
and declared out yesterday.
- Mount Rainier (Washington) -
* The park reports three or four small lightning-caused fires on the
11th, all of which were controlled by initial attack.
- North Cascades (Washington) -
* North Cascades also had several small lightning-caused fires on the
11th and was equally successful in quickly suppressing them.
4) FIRE ACTIVITY - 563 fires for 65,099 acres in past 24 hours.
5) NPS FIRE DANGERS - The following parks are experiencing high to
extreme fire clanger this morning:
High Very High Extreme
Bryce Canyon Guadalupe Mountains Cumberland Island
Zion Padre Island Yukon-Charlie
Indiana Dunes Lava Beds
Big Bend Pinnacles
Hawaii Volcanoes Denali
Sequoia/Kings Wrangell-St. Elias
Joshua Tree
Kobuk Valley
Whiskeytown
6) ANALYSIS - Mostly dry lightning has caused numerous new ignitions in the
Northwest. Smokejumpers continue to be mobilized to the Northwest.
Demobilization of resources from Alaska is continuing.
As of yesterday, the parks reporting to the NPS Branch of Fire Management
in Boise had 46 firefighters, seven monitors and 86 overhead personnel
committed to fires nationally. Nine NPS helicopters and six engines have
also been committed.
7) PROGNOSIS - Fire activity is expected to continue throughout the West as
lightning activity continues to be widespread.
(Telefaxed report from Ken Hay, Branch of Fire, Boise, 7/12; NPS National
Wildland Fire Summary, 0430 MDT, 7/13; NICC Intelligence Section, Fire
Management Situation Report, 0530 MDT, 7/13).
STAFF STATUS
- Division Chief: No travel scheduled.
- Branch of Resource & Visitor Protection: Kreis on lieu day.
- Branch of Fire: Norum in Alaska Area Command in Fairbanks (through
7/14); 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
SEAdog: 1/650