- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Friday, July 20, 1990
- Date: Fri, 20 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 20, 1990
INCIDENTS
90-200 - Channel Islands (California) - Drowning
On the morning of July 14th, two park rangers monitored a distress call from
the vessel "Prime Time" while on boat patrol off the southwest shore of
Anacapa Island. R.H., 60, a retired Army National Guard major
general from Oxnard, California, was scuba diving with his son when he
experienced some problems with his diving gear, ascended rapidly to the
surface, and apparently had difficulty "punching" through the kelp ceiling.
Shortly after reaching the surface, he became unconscious. The rangers
arrived within minutes and continued the CPR efforts which had been
initiated by family members for an additional 40 minutes. Shortly
thereafter, a Coast Guard helicopter medivaced the victim to St John's
Hospital in Oxnard where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The cause of
death was drowning. (Jack Fitzgerald, CR, CRTS, via CompuServe message from
Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 7/16).
90-201 - Golden Gate (California) - Beach Closure
On July 15th, the Park Police shut down three-quarters of a mile of Ocean
Beach after 53 used medical syringes washed ashore and 200 more were found
in two wine bottles hidden in a rocky outcropping called Kelly's Cove near
Cliff House. There were no reports of injuries, and it was not known where
the needles came from. (Curtis Shane, USPP, via CompuServe message from Herb
Gercke, RAD/WRO, 7/16).
90-202 - Lake Mead (Nevada) - Drowning
V.P., 41, of Las Vegas and a companion were operating a
boat at a high rate of speed on the 14th when their vessel struck a reef and
knocked both of them into the water. They then attempted to swim to shore
without the assistance of floatation devices. V.P. never made it, and
rescue attempts by NPS divers failed to recover his body. Investigation
reveals alcohol was a factor in the accident. (Dispatch, LAME, via
CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 7/18).
90-203 - Olympic (Washington) - Fatality
On July 17th, 15-year-old T.B. and his older brother and a friend
were hiking about a mile from the Graves Creek campground when the log they
were walking upon gave way. T.B.'s brother was able to jump off, but he
went down the hill head first. When the other boys reached him, he had a
weak pulse, but was not breathing. One boy began CPR while the other went
for help. Rangers soon arrived, continued CPR and requested an Army MAST
helicopter. Because of the steep terrain and near box canyon-like location
of the incident, the Army had to use a 250-foot long line in order to
evacuate T.B.. Military medical personnel worked on the victim while
enroute to Madigan Army Hospital near Tacoma. They were able to maintain a
pulse until reaching the hospital, but needed to continue CPR. Doctors at
the hospital pronounced T.B. dead shortly after arriving at Madigan.
(Chuck. Janda, CR, OLYM, via CompuServe message from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRD,
7/17).
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
MT USFS Bitterroot Gird Point - T1 2,325 None
ID USFS Boise Mormon Creek - T1 440 CN 7/20
Challis Big Creek - T1 220 CN 7/20
Fish Lake Killian Sp. - T2 100 None
CA USFS Los Padres *Pendola - T2 300 None
OR USFS Gifford Pinchot Yellowjacket 551 CN 7/21
Wenatchee White River 550 CN 9/1
Lake Wenatchee - T2 255 Yes
Malheur Corral Basin - T2 1,100 Yes
Wall.-Whit. Bear - T2 407 Yes
Okanogan *West Pasayten 129 CN 7/20
OR State Spring Butte 915 Yes
AK FWS Yukon Flats A121 - T2 173,840 None
Upper Yukon A143 65,000 None
NPS Denali Bear Creek 32,000 MN
Sandless Lake 600 MN
Billberg lake 1,000 MN
Hot Slough 500 MN
A-255 2,000 MN
A-406 250 MN
A-413 1,200 MN
AK Tok Area A156 - T1 54,000 None
Tanana Zone A233 1,000 None
BLM Tanana Zone A235 24,000 MN
Alaska also has 54 fires unstaffed under modified suppression
strategy for a total of 216,644 acres and 45 fires under limited
suppression strategy for 211,095 acres.
NOTES:
- Fires - Asterisk indicates newly reported fire (on this
report). 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; MS means the fire is being managed under a
modified suppression strategy; "none" means no estimate; "yes"
means the fire has been contained.
3) NPS NARRATIVES -
- Denali (Alaska) -
* A-255/A-364 Fire - Activity has increased on the fire's northern,
western and eastern flanks. About 40 percent of the perimeter is
now burning, and numerous areas are reported to have flames as high
as ten feet.
* A-406 Fire - No new information available.
* Bear Creek (A-148) Fire - On the 18th, aerial recon determined that
there had been a significant increase in fire activity. Several areas
were reported to have flame lengths of 25 to 40 feet and associated
convection columns rising several thousand feet. The area of the burn
closest to Kantishna is still over 12 miles away.
* Billberg Lake (A-374) Fire - The fire's quarter-mile-long front has
flame lengths of 10 feet. It is burning in dense spruce.
* A-413 Fire - The fire was reported to be spotting on the 17th, with
ten-foot flame lengths at points along its perimeter. The fire is
burning in an area which is dotted with lakes, surrounded by marsh,
and is in an open canopy of spruce.
- Grand Canyon (Wyoming) -
* Two small lightning fires occurred on the 18th. Each was less than one
acre and has been controlled.
- Sequoia/Kings Canyon (California) -
* Avalanche 1 Rx Natural Fire - The seven-acre fire is being closely
monitored and is within prescription.
* Rangers Roost Fire - This small fire is being closely monitored and
being considered for prescribed natural fire.
- Yosemite (California) -
* The three, small prescribed natural fires which started on the 13th
have had no changes in acreage.
* Lukens Rx Natural Fire - The fire has burned a third of an acre and has
the potential to burn up to 50 acres. It is being closely monitored.
4) FIRE ACTIVITY - 218 fires for 26,651 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
Everglades Scotts Bluff Yukon Charlie
Indiana Dunes Lake Meredith
Pinnacles
Sequoia/King
Whiskeytown
Wrangell-St Elias
6) ANALYSIS - Projected containment targets are being met on many fires in
the Northwest and demobilization of crews is beginning. Fire activity is
continuing throughout the Great Basin, California and Alaska.
Mobilization of overhead to Alaska is continuing.
As of yesterday, the parks reporting to the NPS Branch of Fire Management
in Boise had 30 firefighters, 12 monitors and 10 overhead personnel
committed to fires nationally. Four NTS helicopters and six engines
have also been committed.
7) PROGNOSIS - Fire activity is expected to continue throughout the West and
Alaska. Type II helicopters remain in high demand.
(CompuServe report from Ken Hay, Branch of Fire, Boise, 7/19; NICC
Intelligence Section, Fire Management Situation Report, 0530 MDT, 7/20).
STAFF STATUS
- Division Chief: No travel scheduled.
- Branch of Resource & Visitor Protection: Farabee at FLETC for health and
fitness coordinator training (7/16-7/27); Halainen on AL (7/16-7/27).
- Branch of Fire: Botti in Washington on budgetary matters (7/16-7/20).
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