- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Tuesday, August 28, 1990
- Date: Tues, 28 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 28, 1990
INCIDENTS
90-278 - Denali (Alaska) - Mudslides
During the early morning hours of the 26th, the park road was blocked by
five separate rock and mudslides which stranded visitors in the west end of
the park. After an unusually warm, dry summer, the park received torrential
rains, which resulted in slides at Polychrome Pass, Sable Pass and Igloo
Canyon. The slides and high water backed up at Regan Creek resulted in the
closure of the road at mile 15. One tour bus, caught between slides near
Sable Pass, was freed after several hours and returned east. All 40
visitors west of Polychrome Pass were stranded and spent the night at
Eielson Visitor Center, Toklat and Wonder Lake. Park road crews worked all
day on the slide areas, only to have more material come down at Polychrome
that night. Clearing efforts continued yesterday, and the park hoped to
evacuate the stranded visitors by mid-afternoon. The forecast is for
continued rain. (CompuServe message from Interp/ARO, 8/27).
90-279 - Allegheny Portage Railroad (Pennsylvania) - DUI Pursuit/ Accident
At 10:15 p.m. on the 24th, a park ranger on patrol observed a 1988 Pontiac
with four occupants parked in a picnic area. As he approached it, the
vehicle pulled forward across a curb, onto a grass strip, then back over
another curb into the parking area. The ranger attempted to stop the car by
activating his emergency lights and siren, but the vehicle sped away. The
ranger pursued the car onto U.S. Route 22, where the driver, R.H.,
19, of Cresson, Pennsylvania, lost control. The car overturned several
times, injuring the four occupants, all of whom were minors. A blood test
performed on R.H. revealed a blood alcohol level of .26. The incident is
under investigation by both the NPS and the Pennsylvania State Police.
Numerous charges are pending. (Garry Traynham, CR, ALPO, via telefax from
Ginny Paci, RAD/MARO, 8/27).
90-280 - Lake Mead (Nevada/Arizona) - Fatality
M.W., 22, of Cgden, Utah, was working with a private road
construction crew on North Shore Road on the 23rd when he was stuck and run
over by one of the trucks hauling gravel to the site. The crew was working
under an NPS contract to pave part of the road. He was pronounced dead at
the scene. (LAME dispatch, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke,
RAD/WRO, 8/27).
90-281 - Lake Mead (Nevada/Arizona) - MVA with Fatality
On August 27th, 33-year-old D.C. of Las Vegas was driving his car
near Horsepower Cove when he failed to negotiate a curve on a dirt access
road, ever-corrected and rolled over. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators state that alcohol and illegal drugs were contributing factors
in the accident. (LAME dispatch, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke,
RAD/WRO, 8/27).
90-282 - Lake Mead (Nevada/Arizona) - Drowning
Eight-year-old W.H. of Henderson, Nevada, was swimming near the
campground at Las Vegas Wash when he became separate from his friends. He
called for help, but sank before rescuers could reach him. His body was
later recovered by the park's dive team. (LAME dispatch, via CompuServe
message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 8/27).
90-283 - Lake Mead (Nevada/Arizona) - MVA with Fatality
On August 22nd, O.B., 62, of Overton, Nevada, was killed in a one-
car accident on North Shore Road. The vehicle rolled over after O.B.
failed to negotiate a curve, and he was ejected. O.B. was not wearing a
seatbelt. (LAME dispatch, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO,
8/27).
90-284 - Colonial (Virginia) - MVA with Fatality
A park ranger observed a damaged sign at Papermill Creek overlook on
Colonial Parkway near Williamsburg early on the afternoon of the 25th. When
she stopped to check, she found a face shield from a motorcycle helmet and a
wristwatch near the sign. She searched the wooded area around the overlook
and eventually located a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and the body of S.M.O.
During the subsequent investigation, rangers determined
that S.M.O. was traveling east on the parkway at a high rate of speed when
he lost control of his motorcycle. (Hiram Barber, Acting CR, COLO, via
telefax from Ginny Paci, RAD/MARO, 8/27).
[Other incidents reported today will appear in Wednesday's morning report]
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 8/27 8/28 Status
UT UT State Wasatch Mt. - T2 2,500 2,600 None
CO NPS Dinosaur Split 34 93 CN 9/1
AK NPS Denali A-148 46,050 46,050 MN
A-374 1,530 1,530 MN
A-255 25,800 25,800 MN
A-406 16,500 16,500 MN
A-413 7,300 7,300 MN
FWS Galena Zone A-204 150,000 150,000 None
AK Tok Area 013021 - T2 97,320 97,325 CN 8/27
Alaska also has 29 fires unstaffed under modified suppression
strategy for a total of 1,324,765 acres and 42 fires under limited
suppression strategy for 1,145,910 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 -
- Dinosaur - The Split Fire should be contained by September 1st. It
is burning in Ponderosa pine. Three fire monitors have been assigned to
the fire.
- Yosemite (California) - No change from yesterday's report.
- Denali (Alaska) - The park's FIREPRO helicopter contract ended on the 25th
so the fires have not been flown recently. The weather continues to be
cool and humid; the three-to-five day forecast calls for possible showers.
No lightning is expected during the period.
4) NATIONAL FIRE ACTIVITY - 130 fires for 3,131 acres in past 24 hours.
5) NPS FIRE DANGERS -
High Very High Extreme
Sequoia/Kings Crater Lake Noatak
Golden Gate Craters of the Moon Yukon-Charlie
Hawaii Volcanoes Dinosaur Scotts Bluff
Yosemite Grand Canyon
Denali Great Basin
Indiana Dunes Natchez Trace
Point Reyes Joshua Tree
Pinnacles Zion
Olympic Bryce Canyon
Wrangell-St. Elias Theodore Roosevelt
Isle Royale
6) NPS MOBILIZATION/DEMOBILIZATION -
Resource August 26 August 27
Firefighters 150 114
Monitors 1 1
Overhead personnel 62 59
Type I crews 0 1
Engines 9 7
Helicopters 6 6
7) ANALYSIS - Except for the Wasatch Mountain Fire, only minor activity
is occurring. Very high and extreme dangers continue to be reported
in southern California, Utah, Nevada and a few areas in the Rocky
Mountains.
8) PROGNOSIS - No resource shortages expected.
(Telefax report from Beth Gale, Branch of Fire, Boise, 1700 MDT, 8/27; NICC
Intelligence Section, Fire Management Situation Report, 0530 MDT, 8/28).
STAFF STATUS
- Division Chief: No travel scheduled.
- Branch of Resource & Visitor Protection: Coffey on SL (8/27-8/31);
Marriott at ARPA meeting in San Antonio (8/27-8/31); Henry on SL
(indefinite).
- Branch of Fire: Hurd on travel (8/27-8/29); Beth Gale on detail to Branch
from Shenandoah (8/27-9/7).
Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities