- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Tuesday, August 7, 1990
- Date: Tues, 7 Aug 1990
RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
CC: RAD Information Net
Day/date: Tuesday, August 7, 1990
INCIDENTS
90-61 - Joshua Tree (California) - Follow-up on Injury to Grady Arrington
On August 2nd, Grady developed bilateral pneumonia and was returned to the
hospital's intensive care unit. He is on a ventilator, has had another
tracheotomy, and is having fluids removed from both lungs. Doctors report
that his pneumonia is very difficult to control, and he is therefore
receiving massive doses of antibiotics. He will remain in ICU from eight to
ten days. Doctors feel he will recover, however. (CompuServe message from
Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 8/6).
90-235 - Glacier (Montana) - Successful Search and Rescue
On the afternoon of Tuesday, July 31st, D.L., 26, of Falls Church,
Virginia, and a companion were camped at Gunsight Lake when D.L. told his
friend that he'd decided to take a solo hike to Jackson Glacier. He took no
supplies with him. When he failed to return by Wednesday morning, his
companion hiked out and reported him missing. A hasty search was begun that
afternoon, then expanded into a full search the following day. The park
employed 20 field personnel, a helicopter and tracking dogs in the effort to
find Lemmon. At 11:30 on Friday morning, a helicopter crew spotted D.L.
in the Upper St. Mary River drainage in the vicinity of Florence Falls. He
was suffering from hunger, exhaustion, hypothermia, a chest injury and
kidney complications. D.L. was evacuated to Kalispell Regional Hospital
by helicopter. (Telefax from Bob Andrew, CR, GLAC, 8/6).
90-236 - Pictured Rocks (Michigan) - Emergency Aircraft landing
A Cessna Skyhawk made an emergency landing on the beach at Beaver Creek
Campground at 9 p.m. on August 3rd. The aircraft, which was operated by D.M.
of Atlanta, Michigan, had run low on fuel. Neither D.M. nor his
wife, who was the only passenger, was injured. The aircraft did not sustain
any damage. The incident has been investigated by the FAA and has been
turned over to the NPS for further investigation. The aircraft is still on
the beach. No final determination had been made on how to remove it at the
time of the report. (Ray Brende, CR, PIRO, via CompuServe message from
Capt. J.J. McLaughlin, RAD/MWRO, 8/6).
90-237 - Mount Rainier (Oregon) - MVA with Fatality
At 6 p.m. on August 5th, P.J., 24, of Tacama, Washington, was hit
by a van as she attempted to turn her motorcycle into a pullout. Witnesses
said that P.J. appeared to be somewhat inexperienced in handling a
motorcycle, and that she had turned in front of the van. Her husband and
child were on one of two other bikes in the group. She was airlifted to a
nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival. (Telephone
report from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 8/6).
90-238 - Olympic (Washington) - Near Drowning
Y-S.M., 24, a Korean national, was swimming in eight feet of water on
Lake Crescent when he went underwater for three or four minutes. He was
quickly recovered, revived by CPR and medevaced to a hospital in Seattle
where he is in critical condition. Doctors say that he is suffering from
severe cerebral hypoxia, and that it is uncertain as to whether he will
live. (Telephone report from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 8/6).
90-239 - Gulf Islands (Mississippi/Florida) - Homicide
Campers on Santa Rosa Island discovered the body of a female whose throat
had been cut on the morning of August 4th. The victim was identified as
B.D.R., 34, of Pensacola, Florida, and it was determined
that she'd been killed within the previous 24 hours. An investigation was
begun by Escambia County, the FBI and park rangers. The prime suspect was
J.M.W., 28, also of Pensacola, who was B.D.R.'s boyfriend. On
the night of the 4th, J.M.W was found in B.D.R.'s car, arrested and charged
with homicide. (Telephone report from Capt. Steve Alscher, RAD/SERO, 8/6).
90-240 - Yosemite (California) - Climbing Fatality
M.T., 28, a Yosemite Park and Curry Company employee, was killed
in a fall while attempting to climb a 5/8 pitch ascent on Keystone Corner on
August 2nd. According to his climbing partner, M.T. might have exceeded
his ability and experience. The probable cause of death is considered to be
climber error compounded by equipment failure. (Roger Rudolph, CR, YOSE,
via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 8/6).
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 8/6 8/7 Status
ID USFS Boise Porter - T1 200 600 None
NV BLM Carson City Buckeye - T2 200+ 200+ Yes
WA NPS North Cascades McCallister - T2 272 272 CN 8/5
USFS Wenatchee Canoe Creek - T2 505 505 None
Okanogan *Swamp Creek - T2 - 120 None
OR USFS Siskiyou Caves - T2 85 NR None
Deschutes Awbrey Hall - T2 3,300 3,353 CN 8/7
Findley Bt. - T1 700 1,250 CN 8/9
Ochoco *Bald Butte - T1 - 1,000 None
Malheur *Whiting Sp. - T1 - 320 None
*Sheeping Bt. - T2 - 300 None
UT BIA Ft. Uintah/Ouray Florence - T2 5,300 5,350 CN 8/9
BLM Cedar City Steamboat - T2 250 225 None
*Mud Spring - 300 Yes
CA USFS Sequoia Stormy Complex - T1 400 2,500+ None
Cleveland *Conejos - 150+ None
Plumas *Walker - T1 - 800+ None
BLM Susanville *Devine - 100 CN 8/7
*Nolan - 400 None
CA CDF *Cuyamaca - NR None
AZ NPS Grand Canyon Topeka 200 NR None
AK FWS Yukon Flats A-197 - T1 127,260 NR None
Galena Zone A-204 73,300 73,300 None
BLM Tok Area 013026 831 NR None
Tanana Zone A-270 24,200 24,200 None
A-421 9,500 NR None
Southwest Area 004069 1,833 2,176 CN 8/15
004068 - T2 6,738 7,808 CN 8/15
004030 38,415 NR None
004034 111,822 180,386 None
Galena Zone A-168 2,900 NR None
NPS Denali A-148 46,000 46,000 MN
A-374 1,800 1,800 MN
A-255 23,600 23,600 MN
A-406 5,000 11,000 MN
A-413 6,000 6,000 MN
A-391 36,390 36,390 MN
Army - A-133 14,000 14,000 None
AK Tok Area 013021 - T1 94,650 94,650 None
013035 11,500 11,500 CN 8/7
Galena Zone A-208 14,000 NR None
Tanana Zone A-414 14,850 NR None
Delta Area 012054 7,500 NR None
Native Upper Yukon A-412 37,470 37,470 None
Tanana Zone A-391 43,890 43,890 None
Alaska also has 32 fires unstaffed under modified suppression
strategy for a total of 963,052 acres and 45 fires under limited
suppression strategy for 900,203 acres.
NOTES:
- Fires - Asterisk indicates newly reported fire (on this
report). T1 and T2 indicate assigned Type I and Type II Teams.
- Status - The following abbreviations are employed:
* NR - No report received
* CN - Contained
* CL - Controlled
* MN - Being monitored
* MS - Fire is being managed under modified suppression strategy
* None - No estimate of containment
* Yes - Fire has been contained
3) NPS NARRATIVES -
- Denali (Alaska) - A red flag warning was posted for increased fire
danger for the McGrath/Minchumina Lake area yesterday. Smoke was
increasing in all areas north of the Alaska Range, which made fixed^wing
mapping hazardous in hilly areas and difficult in low areas.
* A-255 Fire - Currently showing a few smoldering areas.
* A-374 Fire - No visible smoke reported.
* A-413 Fire - No change.
* A-148 Fire - No new information.
* A-391 Fire - Lightning activity was reported on the fire.
* A-406 Fire - The fire is considered active, although it is smoking
on less than five percent of its perimeter.
* McCallister Fire - No new information reported.
- North Cascades (Washington) -
- Sequoia/Kings Canyon (California) -
* Avalanche 1 RX Fire - The fire is now actively burning in timber and
has burned 1,400 acres. A holding action on the east flank has been
successfully completed.
- Grand Canyon (Arizona) -
* Topeka Fire - No new information.
- Yosemite (California) -
* Hoover Creek RX Fire - The fire has burned 29 acres. A minor burnout
has been conducted to take care of unburnt fuels along a creek.
4) FIRE ACTIVITY - 348 fires for 72,552 acres in past 24 hours.
1989 1990
Year-te-date Fires 39,871 42,100
Year-to-date Acres 1,403,252 3,052,970
5) NPS FIRE DANGERS - The following parks reported high to extreme fire
danger yesterday:
High Very High Extreme
Grant-Kohrs Bryce Canyon Death Valley
Redwoods Colorado Zion
Isle Royale Wind Cave Noatak
Great Basin Lassen Yukon-Charlie
Hawaii Volcanoes Pinnacles
Whiskeytown
Denali
Grand Canyon
Indiana Dunes
Padre Island
El Malpais
Sequoia/Kings
Great Basin
Wrangell-St. Elias
6) NPS MOBILIATION/DEMOBILIZATION -
Resource August 3 August 6
Firefighters 32 55
Monitors 8 8
Overhead personnel 18 25
Type I crews 1 2
Engines 6 6
Helicopters 3 4
7) ANALYSIS - Fire activity continues to increase in the Northwest and
California as a result of continuing lightning activity. Heavy
commitment of initial attack resources is occurring in the Northwest,
California, and Nevada.
8) PROGNOSIS - Fire occurrence is expected to increase due to forecasted
lightning activity and existing extremely hot and dry conditions.
Competition for Type II helicopters, air tankers, smoke jumpers and Type
I crews is expected to increase.
(CompuServe report from Diane Wisley, Branch of Fire, Boise, 8/6; NICC
Intelligence Section, Fire Management Situation Report, 0530 MDT, 8/7).
OFFICE NOTES
1) On August 6th, Lake Clark NP headquarters office moved from the
Federal Building in Anchorage to a new location on the Alaska Pacific
University campus. Their new address is: Lake Clark National Park and
Preserve, 4230 University Drive, Suite 311, Anchorage, Alaska, 99508.
Their phone number remains the same: (907) 271-3751. (ARO)
STAFF STATUS
- Division Chief: AL (8/6-8/7), meeting of management task group in
Seattle (8/8-8/10).
- Branch of Resource & Visitor Protection: Martin and Marriott at
meeting in El Paso (8/6-8/9); Coffey on SL (8/8-8/10).
- Branch of Fire: Update pending.
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 (Branch of R&VP); WASO-FIRE-WO (Branch of Fire)
SEAdog: 1/650