- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Monday, August 13, 1990
- Date: Mon, 13 Aug 1990
RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
CC: RAD Information Net
Day/date: Monday, August 13, 1990
INCIDENTS
90-252 - Fort Larned (Kansas) - Severe Storm
On the afternoon of August 12th, high winds and lightning caused damage to
the fort's alarm system, broke windows, turned over an escort wagon
(breaking its bows and carriage), turned over and damaged a guard "sweat
house", and littered the site with tree limbs. The visitor center was
closed until 10 a.m. due to loss of power. One program was cancelled.
(Mike Manning, FOLA, via telefax from John Townsend, RAD/MWRO, 8/12).
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) PREPAPAREDNESS LEVEL - V (HIGHEST LEVEL)
Several geographic areas are experiencing major incidents which have the
potential to exhaust all agency fire resources. 625 crews committed
nationally.
2) NATIONAL OVERVIEW
Nearly 20,000 firefighters remain on line battling fires in five Western
states and Alaska. Fire activity in the northwest has moderated, and
containment targets have been met on nine fires. Fires in California
continue to experience large acreage increases and extreme fire behavior.
Progress is expected toward containment of fires in the Northwest.
Training has been begun for four battalions of Army personnel at Ft. Lewis
and Ft. Carson.
3) NATIONAL FIRE SUMMARY
State Agency Area Fire 8/10 8/13 Status
CA NPS Yosemite Arch Rock Comp.:
Arch Rock - T1 5,000 12,100 None
Steamboat - T1 3,500 4,000 CN 8/16
*T-Grove - 500 None
Whiskeytown Kanaka 100 1,950 None
USFS Sequoia Stormy Comp. -
2 T1 17,500 24,200 CN 8/15
Lassen Finley Lake 1,000 12,160 None
Mendocino *Mendocino Comp. -
T2:
*Elkhorn - 275 None
*Recer - 768 None
*Linn - 130 None
BLM Susanville Branham 5,000 8,650 CN 8/12
Shinn 2,500 16,300 CN 8/14
CA CDF Campbell 40,000 112,000 None
*Mac Arthur Command - 5,000 None
Devil 150 800 None
Bow - T2 150 320 CN 8/13
Peak 600 1,057 None
Mattole 1,000+ 12,500 None
Bear 300 1,470 Yes
*Mincey - 450 Yes
ID USFS Boise Eagle Creek - T2 400 553 Yes
Payette Yellow Pn. Comp. -
T1 500 571 CN 8/14
*Wilderness Comp. - 3,186 CN 8/13
Salmon *Boulder - 484 CN 8/13
BLM Shoshone Thorn Creek 40,000 65,000 Yes
WA USFS Wenatchee *Leavenworth Comp. -
T2: - 300 None
Okanogan Swamp Creek - T2 304 304 Yes
Pistol 106 106 Yes
OR USFS Ochoco Pine Springs
Comp. - T1 70,000 73,700 CN 8/13
Buck Sp. Comp. -
T2 7,825 21,640 None
Malheur Sheep Mt. Comp. -
T2 8,000 9,670 CN 8/15
Snowshoe 6,000 11,285 None
UT USFS Uinta *Heber District
Comp. - T2 - 240 CN 8/13
BLM Burley *Ireland - 2,700 Yes
Moab *Calf Creek - T2 - 180 CN 8/14
Richfield *Chappel Peak - 775 Yes
UT State *Hay Hollow - 160 CN 8/12
NV BLM Ely Wilson Creek 450 - CN 8/10
Elko Wildhorse Canyon 250 - CN 8/10
Jiggs 125 - CN 8/10
Frazer 600 - CN 8/10
Winemucca Pole Creek 1,500 - CN 8/10
NV State Saval 8,000 - CN 8/10
Murphey Creek 350 - CN 8/9
AZ USFS Prescott *Pine - 607 CN 8/13
AK NPS Denali A-148 46,050 46,050 MN
A-374 1,810 1,810 MN
A-255 23,800 23,800 MN
A-406 11,500 11,500 MN
A-413 6,010 6,010 MN
A-391 20,000 20,000 MN
FWS Galena Zone A-204 69,500 69,500 None
BLM Tanana Zone A-270 24,200 - None
Southwest Area 004069 5,296 5,296 CN 8/15
004068 - T2 8,783 8,783 CN 8/15
004034 117,924 117,924 None
004056 124,267 124,955 None
AK Tok Area 013021 - T1 94,650 94,650 CN 8/20
Galena Zone *A-467 - 10,000 None
Native Upper Yukon A-412 43,300 NR None
Tanana Zone A-391 43,890 NR None
Galena Zone *A-469 - 280 None
Alaska also has 30 fires unstaffed under modified suppression
strategy for a total of 1,107,430 acres and 42 fires under limited
suppression strategy for 873,262 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
4) NPS NARRATIVES -
- Yosemite (California) - The Arch Rock Complex fires continue to be the
number one priority for the state of California. The Arch Rock and
Steamboat Fires are the objects of most concern, but the park had
25 other starts this weekend - some with potential for future problems.
The weather is somewhat cooler than the 100 degree temperatures of the
last few days. Some moisture in a storm moving in from the southwest may
arrive over the park this week.
Visitors in the Valley were escorted out of the park on Highway 140 on
Friday. This was a precautionary effort to free staff to work on other
fire efforts, to protect life and property and because food services and
essential facilities were being stressed. The park will remain closed
until Wednesday. At that time, management will reevaluate safety and fire
factors and decide which parts of the park, if any, should be reopened.
The Big Oak Flat entrance station is now open full time. Highways 140, 41
and 120 remain closed except for administrative and media traffic.
The Steamboat Fire may have burned the microwave and communications
equipment on Turtleback Dome. Telephone service out of the park has
therefore been sporadic. Incoming phone calls are being received, but
phone lines are often overloaded. The command posts in the Valley are
unable to communicate with the crew bosses on the major fires in the park.
Same satellite dishes are being installed.
Regional Director Stan Albright joined Superintendent Mike Finley at the
command post in Yosemite Valley yesterday afternoon.
* Arch Rock -
As of yesterday, about 9,100 acres of the fire were within the park and
3,000 acres were on the Stanislaus National Forest. The fire was about
20 percent contained. About 840 firefighters are working on the fire.
Observers have indicated that the fire does not appear to be growing on
its southern flank, which is in steep, wooded terrain. The fire's east
flank continues to be active, however.
The fire consumed 66 structures and 14 private vehicles in Foresta on
Friday and Saturday. No more structures have been lost since that time.
The burnout around El Portal was successful, but electricity and
telephones continue to be out to that community.
The fire continues to threaten Merced Grove. Firefighters have
constructed handline around the grove, have placed a biodegradable fire
retardant around the base of the sequoia trees and have "bandaged" fire
shelters to eh historic building in the Grove. Outside the park, the
Moss Creek area, which contains spotted owl habitat, is threatened. An
historic ranger cabin is threatened and has been covered with fire
blankets. The small community of in-holdings at Aspen Valley was
evacuated yesterday. No injuries or damage to structures have been
reported.
* Steamboat -
Early in the weekend, firefighters estimated that the fire had burned
5,000 acres, but the figure was reduced to 2,750 acres yesterday as a
result of an infra-red aerial survey. The earlier estimates were high
due to heavy smoke and poor visibility.
About 1100 firefighters, 17 engines and 35 crews were working the fire
lines. The fire was estimated yesterday to be about 30 percent
contained.
A dozer line was constructed around Yosemite West early in the weekend
and backfiring was conducted. Structures in that (community are not
currently threatened, but residents are not being allowed to return
because conditions may change. The fire is threatening the developed
area at Badger Pass.
* T-Grove -
This fire is in the Tuolumne Grove of Big Trees off Highway 120. Two
hardcrews have been assigned to it. The grove is near Hodgdon Meadow,
where the park has housing and fire centers.
- Whiskeytown/Shasta/Trinity (California) -
* Kanaka Fire -
The fire started on August 8th and flared up on the 9th. Structures are
threatened on the east and south flanks, including an NPS "NEED" camp.
Spotting is occurring on the fire's southwest corner. Steep terrain is
hampering control efforts and intense burning is occurring. The fire is
30 percent contained, and should be under control by Wednesday. The
fire is being managed as a branch of an area command and 250 personnel
are currently committed to it. A private bulldozer working on the fire
rolled over on the 9th; the operator suffered a separated shoulder.
- Lassen Volcanic (California) -
* Finley Lake Fire -
The fire, which is on state land and is being attacked by the California
Division of Forestry, is presently out of control. It has jumped
Highway 36 and is running up the Battle Creek drainage toward park
headquarters at Mineral. A contingency plan for evacuation of Mineral
is being developed and structural engines are being committed to the
protection of structures at headquarters.
- Denali (Alaska) - Observation flights have been delayed due to zone
priorities. Yesterday, skies were reported to be clear, temperatures
were in the 70's and rising, and light winds were blowing. No acreage
increases have been reported on any fires. Red flag warnings have been
issued for areas west and southwest of the park. Little change in the
warm, dry weather in the area is expected in the next few days.
- Sequoia/Kings Canyon (California) - The park had 13 new starts on the
11th. Most were reported to be small and were either contained or
are considered to pose little or no threat. The park has been inundated
with visitors who were either evacuated or barred from entering Yosemite.
* Avalanche 1 RX Fire - The fire went out of prescription and has now
burned 3,700 acres. It was successfully attacked and is presently very
quiet. The south flank is essentially out; smoldering logs have
been observed elsewhere within the fire's perimeter. No problems are
expected.
* Stag - This 27-acre fire has run into an area burned in the old Lewis
Creek Fire. One Type II crew, a tanker and a helicopter were committed.
Water drops by helicopter have been successful. The fire was 30 percent
contained as of 9:30 p.m. on the 11th.
* Colony - The fire burned 20 acres before containment on the 11th. One
Forest Service Type II crew and a tanker were committed.
5) NATIONAL FIRE ACTIVITY - 360 fires for 41,192 acres in past 24 hours.
6) NPS FIRE DANGERS - The following parks reported high to extreme fire
danger yesterday:
High Very High Extreme
Grant-Kohrs Lava Beds Death Valley
Golden Gate Colorado Badlands
Joshua Tree Whiskeytown Noatak
Dinosaur Lassen Yukon-Charlie
Yosemite Pinnacles John Day Fossil Beds
Zion Theodore Roosevelt Coulee Dam
Denali Cumberland Island
Grand Canyon Hawaii Volcanoes
Indiana Dunes North Cascades
Point Reyes Sequoia/Kings
El Malpais Crater Lake
Olympic Craters of the Moon
Voyageurs Bryce Canyon
Wrangell-St. Elias Redwoods
Gulf Islands
7) NPS MOBILIZATION/DEMOBILIZATION -
Resource August 10 August 12
Firefighters 196 544
Monitors 13 13
Overhead personnel 76 167
Type I crews 2 2
Engines 10 14
Helicopters 4 4
8) ANALYSIS - Fires throughout the Western United States continue to
experience large acreage increases. Slightly cooler temperatures
and higher humidities have aided firefighters on fires in Utah and
the Great Basin.
9) PROGNOSIS - New fires, holdover fires, extreme fire behavior and large
acreage increase are expected to continue throughout the West. Stiff
competition for resources is expected to continue.
(Briefing statement from Holly Bundock, WRO, 1400, 8/12; CompuServe report
from Diane Wisley and Kristy MacMillan, Branch of Fire, Boise, 2030 MDT,
8/12; National Fire Information Center's "National Fire News", 2100 MDT,
8/12; NICC Intelligence Section, Fire Management Situation Report, 0530 MDT,
8/13).
STAFF STATUS
- Division Chief: On travel (8/13).
- Branch of Resource & Visitor Protection: Coffey on SL (8/13-8/17).
- Branch of Fire: Status report 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