- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Tuesday, August 14, 1990
- Date: Tues, 14 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 14, 1990
INCIDENTS
90-253 - Rock Creek Park (Washington, D.C.) - Assault on Park Police Officer
At 11:45 p.m. on the 12th, Officer James Culver stopped a late-model Toyota
4x4 with three people in it in Grove 13, a popular day-use picnic area in
the park. The park had closed at nightfall. As Culver returned to his car
after checking the driver's license, the driver jumped him and beat him
severely with a blunt instrument, probably a 2x4 board later found at the
scene. Culver was able to crawl to his cruiser and call dispatch for help.
He was transported to Washington Hospital Center's intensive care unit,
where he is being treated for a concussion, brain contusion, severe facial
lacerations, a broken jaw, and multiple broken bones. He's also expected to
lose sight in his left eye. A search was immediately begun for his
assailant. On Monday afternoon, a 25-year-old man from Washington was
arrested and was later questioned through a Spanish-speaking interpreter at
Park Police headquarters. As a result of the questioning, police obtained a
warrant for an unnamed 23-year-old Northwest man who was allegedly involved
in the beating. He is currently being sought. (Reports from George
Berklacy, Public Affairs, WASO, 8/13, and The Washington Times, 8/14).
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) PREPAREDNESS 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 22,000 firefighters are committed to major fires in six Western
states and Alaska. Major fires of concern in the West cover more than
340,000 acres. Two battalions from the 9th Infantry Division from Fort
Lewis, Washington - a total of 1,000 people - were to join fire personnel on
the Pine Springs Basin Complex in Oregon yesterday. Two battalions of the
4th Infantry Division from Fort Carson, Colorado, will arrive in Redding,
California, today.
3) NATIONAL FIRE SUMMARY
State Agency Area Fire 8/10 8/13 Status
CA NPS Yosemite Arch Rock Comp. -
T1:
A-Rock 12,100 13,393 None
T-Grove 4 500 635 None
Steamboat - T1 4,000 4,000 CN 8/16
Whiskeytown Kanaka 1,950 2,930 CN 8/13
USFS Sequoia Stormy Comp. -
2 T1 24,200 24,200 CN 8/15
Lassen Finley Lake 12,160 17,500 None
Mendocino Comp. -
T2: 1,173 1,200 CN 8/15
Tahoe *Buttes - 220 None
BLM Susanville Branham 8,650 9,000 Yes
Shinn 16,300 31,000 CN 8/15
CA CDF Campbell 112,000 114,000 None
MacArthur Command 5,000 6,385 None
Devil 800 405 None
Bow - T2 320 320 Yes
Peak 1,057 1,300 Yes
Mattole Camp. 12,500 15,000 None
ID USFS Payette Yellow Pn. Comp. -
T1 571 571 CN 8/15
Wilderness Comp. 3,186 3,430 None
Salmon Boulder 484 484 Yes
WA USFS Wenatchee Leavenworth Comp. -
T2: 300 500+ None
Gifford Pinchot *Louie - T2 - 100 CN 8/16
Okanogan *Freeze Out - 195 None
OR USFS Ochoco Pine Springs
Comp. - T1 73,700 73,700 Yes
Buck Sp. Comp. -
T2 21,640 21,640 None
Malheur Sheep Mt. Comp. -
T2 9,670 9,670 CN 8/16
Snowshoe 11,285 11,285 None
BLM Vale *Thornton - T2 - 800 None
UT USFS Uinta Heber District
Comp. - T2 240 297 Yes
BLM Moab Calf Creek - T2 180 180 Yes
UT State Hay Hollow 160 160 Yes
WY USFS Bridger/Teton *Hot Foot - 100 CN 8/15
AZ USFS Prescott Pine 607 720 CN 8/20
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 69,500 150,000 None
BLM Southwest Area 004069 5,296 5,636 CN 8/15
004068 - T2 8,783 11,509 CN 8/15
004034 117,924 117,924 None
004056 124,267 126,316 None
AK Tok Area 013021 - T1 94,650 94,650 CN 8/20
Galena Zone A-467 10,000 12,000 None
Native Galena Zone A-469 280 550 None
Alaska also has 28 fires unstaffed under modified suppression
strategy for a total of 1,109,282 acres and 43 fires under limited
suppression strategy for 873,589 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) - All areas except Tuolumne Meadows and Wawona will
be closed until Wednesday, when management will decide what areas of the
park to reopen, if any. Tuolumne Meadows lodge and campgrounds are
operating as usual, but no more backcountry permits are being issued.
The High Sierra camps are operating for those who have reservations to
sleep there. All trails west of Porcupine Creek are closed. Wawona
residents and cabin owners, as well as those with reservations at the
Wawona Hotel, are being allowed to enter the South Entrance, but access to
the Valley is still not being allowed. Highway 140 is currently open to
employees who've been requested to return to work. Foresta remains off
limits to both the press and public due to falling trees and open wells.
A slight cooling trend should continue through the week, but winds are
expected to increase. A slight chance exists for thunderstorms with
accompanying variable winds.
Mariposa County Mental Health has stationed counselors in the valley and
in El Portal to provide crisis counseling to those who lost homes or are
affected in any way by the fires. The American Red Cross is also in the
valley to provide assistance in finding temporary housing for those
displaced by the fire. The Yosemite Fund has set up a separate disaster
relief fund. Those wishing to make contributions may send them to The
Yosemite Fund, Fire Relief, 155 Montgomery Street, Suite 1104, San
Francisco, CA 94104.
* A-Rock - This fire is again being referred to as the "A-Rock" instead
of the "Arch Rock" Fire. The A-Rock and T-Grove 4 Fires are in the Arch
Rock Complex. The Aspen Fire reported on this morning's NICC situation
report is in fact the T-Grove 4 Fire. As of last night, the fire was
about 45 percent contained, but no date had yet been projected for full
containment. El Portal is still threatened, but the (community is not in
immediate danger. There have been rumors that (communities in Tuolumne
County are threatened by this fire. The most recent information
available indicates, however, that there is no danger to any community
in the county, including Groveland, Greely Hill, Buck Meadows and Harden
Flats. These communities border the park on Highway 120 west.
The fire continues to threaten the Merced Grove, however. Firefighters
have constructed handline around the grove and have placed a
biodegradable fire retardant around the base of the sequoias. Progress
is being made to the arrival of adequate resources. Heavy smoke
continues to limit aircraft operations until early afternoon. Burnouts
and holding operations have been slow due to extremely dry fuels, steep
terrain and falling snags.
The estimated cost to date of the fire has been $1,480,864; estimated
total damages have been just over $11 million.
* T-Grove 4 - The fire is 20 percent contained. The fire is about three
miles from the structures in Aspen Valley, but is threatening the access
road to the area. Spotting continues to hamper control efforts. There
are 21 dwellings in Aspen Valley.
* Steamboat - The fire acreage has been revised upward following another
infra-red aerial survey. The fire is now 50 percent contained, with
full containment estimated for Thursday. Structures at Badger Pass and
the relay equipment on Turtleback Dome continue to be threatened.
Structures in Yosemite West are not currently threatened, and residents
are being allowed to return to the area.
The estimated cost-to-date to fight the fire is placed at $973,064. The
estimated total cost will be $3.5 million. The estimated saving to
structures and property is currently placed at $10 million. The fire is
being staffed by 21, 20-person crews and 188 overhead personnel. A
dozen engines, four dozers, five helicopters, and five airtankers have
been assigned to the fire.
- Whiskeytown/Shasta/Trinity (California) -
* Kanaka Fire - Structures continue to be threatened on the east and south
flanks. The fire is 40 percent contained, with full containment
expected tomorrow.
- Lassen Volcanic (California) -
* Finley Lake Fire - The fire, which is being managed by the California
Division of Forestry, is now 50 percent contained. There are three
separate heads, all of which are burning actively. The fire is seven
miles from the park's headquarters at Mineral. The NPS has burned out a
blackline around headquarters and secured all documents in a fire safe.
They have also developed a contingency plan for evacuating the park if
necessary. A strike team of engines is at Mineral to provide further
protection if necessary. There are 740 people assigned to this fire.
- Sequoia/Kings Canyon (California) -
* Avalanche 1 RX Fire - The fire has now burned 2,083 acres. The fire is
being managed under a containment strategy.
* Stag - One Type II crew, a tanker and a helicopter have been committed.
Water drops by helicopter have been successful.
5) NATIONAL FIRE ACTIVIIY - 213 fires for 111,186 acres in past 24 hours.
1989 1990
Year-to-date Fires 42,455 45,139
Year-to-date Acres 1,421,516 3,521,746
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
7) NPS MOBILIZATION/DEMOBILIZATION -
Resource August 12 August 13
Firefighters 544 641
Monitors 13 13
Overhead personnel 167 205
Type I crews 2 2
Engines 14 14
Helicopters 4 4
The breakdown by region of personnel committed as of yesterday is
as follows:
AR MAR MWR NAR NCR PNR RMR SER SWR WR
Firefighters 0 70 77 31 25 83 122 93 40 100
Overhead 2 12 9 0 2 22 5 8 41 34 25
The breakdown by region of personnel available for callout at their
home parks as of yesterday is as follows:
AR MAR MWR NAR NCR PNR RMR SER SWR WR
Firefighters 28 20 20 17 10 0 53 31 61 0
Overhead 0 9 4 0 2 0 21 11 36 0
8) ANALYSIS - Fire activity has moderated on some fires in the Western
United States due to lower temperatures and higher humidities. The
demand for resources has moderated.
9) PROGNOSIS - Additional progress toward containment is expected on
large fires. Some fires will also reach containment. Competition for
resources is also expected to moderate.
(Fire briefing from Dave Richer, Yosemite, 1330 PDT, 8/13; CompuServe report
from Diane Wisley and Kristy MacMillan, Branch of Fire, Boise, 2030 MDT,
8/13; National Fire Information Center's "National Fire News", 2100 MDT,
8/13; NICC Intelligence Section, Fire Management Situation Report, 0530 MDT,
8/14).
STAFF STATUS
- Division Chief: No travel scheduled.
- Branch of Resource & Visitor Protection: Coffey on SL (8/13-8/17).
- Branch of Fire: Diane Wisely detailed to the Branch from PNRO (8/6-8/24);
Kristy MacMillan detailed to the Branch from Buffalo NSR (8/10-8/20).
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 (Branch of R&VP); WASO-FIRE-WO (Branch of Fire)
SEAdog: 1/650