- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Wednesday, August 22, 1990
- Date: Wed, 22 Aug 1990
RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
CC: RAD Information Net
Day/date: Wednesday, August 22, 1990
INCIDENTS
90-267 - Blue Ridge (North Carolina/Virginia) - Possible Homicide
Just before noon on the 20th, the body of an as-of-yet unidentified middle-
aged woman was found 45 feet below Chestoa Overlook in North Carolina. The
woman appeared to have suffered massive injuries before her fall, so her death
is being treated as a homicide. An autopsy was scheduled for tomorrow to
determine the cause of death. In October of 1988, H.G. and S.H.
fell to their deaths from this overlook. J.G., H.G.'s husband, was
found innocent of two counts of first degree murder following a second trial
of his case in June. (Telephone report from Terry Freeman, BLRI, 8/21; UP
story, 8/21).
90-268 - Joshua Tree (California) - Weapons Violations
On August 18th, Joshua Tree and BLM rangers, assisted by California Highway
Patrol officers, arrested three individuals near the park's south boundary
who were armed with M-16 machine guns, semi-automatic pistols and other
assorted handguns. Approximately 1,000 rounds of automatic weapons ammunition
was also confiscated. The suspects were charged with possession of Title II
machine guns. (Paul Henry, CR, JOTR, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke,
RAD/WR0, 8/20).
90-269 - Joshua Tree (California) - Search
A search was initiated on August 18th for a suicidal man thought to be within
the park. The subject was known to be armed with two survival knives and was
a heavy user of illegal drugs. A search effort was coordinated with the
assistance of CHP helicopters and San Bernadino County Sheriff's Office
trackers. Volunteer trackers were not used due to the individual's history
of violence and the fact that he was armed with deadly weapons. The subject
was found by park rangers about two miles from the point where he'd last been
seen. He was arrested and transported to the county's psychiatric ward.
(Paul Henry, CR, JOTR, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO,
8/20).
90-270 - Joshua Tree (California) - Court Conviction
On January 19th, J.O. was arrested by park rangers for possession of
a concealed deadly weapon, impersonating a police officer, discharging a
firearm in the park, giving false information to a police officer, possession
of an explosive device and possession of a machine gun. On August 10th, a
jury found J.O. guilty on all charges after three days of testimony in the
U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. J.O. is scheduled to be sentenced on
October 15th, and will probably receive two years in a federal penitentiary.
He has 12 prior felony arrests, including assaults on police officers,
attempted murder and the manufacture of automatic weapons. (Paul Henry, CR,
JOTR, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 8/20).
90-271 - Gateway (New York) - Homicide
On the morning of the 18th, a fisherman found the body of a woman in her 30's
in the southwest corner of Paedergat Basin in the park. The victim was bound
hand and foot and had apparently died from a gunshot wound to the head. It
is not yet clear whether she was killed in the park or elsewhere. Park Police
and New York PD detectives are investigating. (Telephone report from Capt.
Dale Dickerhoof, RAD/NARO, 8/20).
90-272 - New River Gorge (West Virginia) - Drug Arrest
On August 17th, rangers arrested R.E.F. of Oak Hill, West Virginia,
for cultivation of marijuana in the park. Three days prior to the arrest, a
special drug recon patrol conducted by rangers discovered a plantation of 127
plants in a remote part of the park. Evidence at the scene, including
irrigation equipment and fertilizer, indicated that the plants were being
intensively cultivated. An around-the-clock surveillance operation was
immediately begun. Just after 6 p.m. on the 17th, R.E.F. entered the
plantation and began working with the plants. The rangers videotaped him in
the act. As R.E.F. left the plantations, he was arrested by the three
rangers on the surveillance team. R.E.F. has an extensive arrest record for
past violence, but offered the rangers little resistance. The plants are
valued at $2,000 each, and push the total value of marijuana seized in the
park past $1 million. (Telefax from Bill Blake, CR, NERI, 8/20).
90-273 - Ozark (Missouri) - Drowning
J.S., 23, of Hayti, Missouri, was last seen swimming in the
Current River near Big Spring around 8 p.m. on the 18th. He was not a good
swimmer, had not eaten since before 3 p.m., and, according to his family, had
consumed 12 to 14 beers during the day. His body was recovered ten feet from
shore in seven feet of water later that evening. (Tom Graham, CR, OZAR, via
CompuServe message from Tom Thompson, RAD/MWRO, 8/18).
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - II
One geographic area experiencing high fire danger. Numerous Class A, B, and
C fires occurring and a potential exists for escapes to larger (project)
fires. Minimal mobilization of resources from other geographic areas
occurring. The potential exists for mobilizing additional resources from
other geographic areas.
2) NATIONAL FIRE SUMMARY
State Agency Area Fire 8/21 8/22 Status
CA NPS Yosemite Piute 1,000 600 CS
*Laurel Lake 1 - 125 CS
*Frog 2 - 480 CS
ID USFS Payette Wilderness Comp. - T2 7,846 7,486 MN
FL USFS Apalachicola Clear Lake 188 180 Yes
FL State Beehaven Bay 400 500 None
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 16,000 16,000 MN
A-413 6,010 6,010 MN
Wrang.-St. Elias 002042 436 436 Yes
FWS Galena Zone A-204 150,000 150,000 None
BLM Southwest Area 004069 10,530 10,530 CN 8/22
004068 - T2 15,520 15,520 CN 8/22
004056 136,115 136,115 None
AK Tok Area 013021 - T1 97,300 97,300 None
Galena Zone A-467 55,000 55,000 None
A-483 350 350 None
Alaska also has 30 fires unstaffed under modified suppression
strategy for a total of 1,316,155 acres and 46 fires under limited
suppression strategy for 1,130,825 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 * MS - Modified suppression strategy
* CN - Contained * MN - Being monitored
* CL - Controlled * None - No estimate of containment
* CS - Confinement strategy * Yes - Fire has been contained
3) NPS NARRATIVES -
- Yosemite (California) -
* Piute Fire - The fire is being managed under confinement strategy
as part of the A-Rock Complex. Some limited suppression action is
being taken on the northwest corner.
* A-Rock Fire - The fire should be fully controlled this evening.
Demobilization is progressing rapidly. Heat concentrations still
exist within the mop-up zone on the north side of the fire; the
south, east and west perimeters are cool.
* Steamboat Fire - Demobilization continues.
* Laurel Lake 1 Fire - The fire is being managed under confinement
strategy using natural barriers and old burns. The fire is part
of the A-Rock Complex.
* Frog 2 Fire - Limited suppression action is being taken to prevent
downhill spread on the southwest side. The fire is part of the
A-Rock Complex.
- Denali (Alaska) -
* The weather continues to be cool and humid with forecasters calling
for a continued chance of light rain. No acreage changes reported.
- Wrangell-St. Elias (Alaska) -
* 002042 Fire - Mop-up continues. Showers have occurred in the area and
the forecast calls for continued light rain.
4) NATIONAL FIRE ACTIVITY - 365 fires for 11,015 acres in past 24 hours.
5) NPS FIRE DANGERS - The following parks reported high to extreme fire
danger yesterday:
High Very High Extreme
Bryce Canyon Crater Lake Noatak
Golden Gate Craters of the Moon Yukon-Charlie
Scotts Bluff Dinosaur
Yosemite Cumberland Island
Voyageurs Hawaii Volcanoes
Denali Sequoia/Kings
Indiana Dunes
Point Reyes
Great Basin
Olympic
Zion
Wrangell-St. Ellas
Isle Royale
Pinnacles
Whiskeytown
Lava Beds
Joshua Tree
6) NPS MOBILIZATION/DEMOBILIZATION -
Resource August 20 August 21
Firefighters 446 287
Monitors 4 3
Overhead personnel 91 66
Type I crews 0 0
Engines 11 10
Helicopters 5 5
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 0 36 11 1 33 0 41 15 287
Overhead 2 10 1 0 1 9 6 17 10 62
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 80 20 16 19 50 122 127 105 235
Overhead 0 20 7 0 4 15 52 46 52 24
7) ANALYSIS - Southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and southern California
are reporting more areas with fire indices ranging from very high to
extreme. Fire dangers in central and northern Florida are high and
some activity is being reported there.
8) PROGNOSIS - Only minor fire activity is anticipated.
(CompuServe report from Diane Wisley and Kristy MacMillan, Branch of Fire,
Boise, 1700 MDT, 8/21; NICC Intelligence Section, Fire Management Situation
Report, 0530 MDT, 8/22).
STAFF STATUS
- Division Chief: No travel scheduled.
- Branch of Resource & Visitor Protection: Coffey on SL (8/20-8/24); Farabee
in Boise for meeting on NIIMS (8/21-8/23); Marriott in Tennessee arranging
move (8/20-8/22) and at ARPA meeting in San Antonio (8/23-8/25); Halainen
on AL (8/22).
- Branch of Fire: Hurd on travel to Yosemite, Sequoia/Kings, Yellowstone
and Boise (8/20-8/24); Norum at meeting of steering committee for
wilderness fire management course, Portland, Oregon (8/20-8/23);
Diane Wisely detailed to the Branch (Boise) from PNRO (8/6-8/24); Kristy
MacMillan detailed to the Branch (Boise) from Buffalo NSR (8/10-8/20).
Prepared by WAS0 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