RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

Attention: Directorate
           Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
           CC: RAD Information Net

Day/date: Thursday, September 27, 1990

INCIDENTS

90-341 - Cape Lookout (North Carolina) - Structural Fire

A fire destroyed the concessioner's cabin and workshop at South Core Bank on
the 25th. The fire, which may have been started by a generator or the power
cord leading from it, began around noon and was out by 2:30 p.m. A nearby
400-gallon gasoline tank blew-up during the fire. The park successfully
employed a Mark III pump to keep the fire from spreading to another cabin
and to nearby vegetation. Damage has been estimated at from $10,000 to
$15,000; there were no injuries. The county fire marshall was to have begun
an investigation into the fire yesterday. (Felix Revello, CALO, via telefax
from Steve Smith, RAD/SERO, 9/26).

90-342 - Organ Pipe Cactus (Arizona) - Border Incident

Just before 5 p.m. on the 16th, the park received a report from two visitors
that from 12 to 16 armed men in civilian clothes had crossed the border from
Mexico into the park. The couple said that they were taking photographs
when they saw the men "sneaking up" from the Mexican side of the border.
The members of the party were armed with what appeared to be M-16-style
rifles. The couple decided to leave the area after being noticed by the
group. As they were leaving, one member of the group yelled at them
repeatedly to stop. The visitors drove off in their vehicle on the U.S.
side of the border, while the Mexican nationals, alleged to have been
Federales, returned to five unmarked vehicles on their side of the border
and chased the couple on a road which parallels the park road. At no time
were weapons pointed at the couple. The visitors made their way to Highway
85, turned away from the border, and drove to park headquarters to report
the incident. The park has made several attempts to contact Mexican
officials to discuss this incident but has not yet been successful.
(Dispatch, ORPI, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 9/26).

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky) - The Mammoth Cave Area Biosphere
Reserve was dedicated in a ceremony held in the park on the 26th. The
dedication was conducted in conjunction with the 1990 Eastern/Southern
Regional Natural Heritage Conference sponsored by The Kentucky State Nature
Preserves Commission. The park joins a select group of national parks that
have also been designated both World Heritage Sites and International
Biosphere Reserves by UNESCO.

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                    9/26           9/27  Status

GA     FWS       Okefenokee NWR    Shorts                  6,400              -  NR

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) NATIONAL FIRE ACTIVITY - Not available this morning.

4) NPS FIRE DANGERS (9/26) -

       High                Very High                 Extreme

Golden Gate              Cumberland Island       ** No areas **
Indiana Dunes            Hawaii Volcanoes
Lake Meredith            Joshua Tree
Lava Beds
Natchez Trace
Point Reyes
Scotts Bluff
Wind Cave
Zion

5) NPS MOBILIZATION/DEMOBILIZATICN -

  Resource            9/25      9/26

Firefighters           34        14
Monitors                0         0
overhead personnel     21        24
Type I Crews            0         0
Engines                 6         6
Helicopters             3         4

6) ANALYSIS - Not available this morning.

7) PROGNOSIS - Not available this morning.

(CompuServe report from Laurie Wise, Branch of Fire, Boise, 1700 MDT, 9/26).

STAFF STATUS

- Division Chief: Dabney at in Nashville (9/26-9/27).

- Branch of Resource & Visitor Protection: Martin at beard of inquiry for
  shooting death of Bob McGhee at Gulf Islands (9/24-9/26); Halainen in
  Nashville (9/26-9/27) and on AL (9/28).

- Branch of Fire: Gale and Broyles at all-risk cadre meeting in Shenandoah
  (9/24-9/26); Erskine, Botti and Gale reviewing housing potential for
  Alpine hotshot crew at Zion and Bryce Canyon (9/27-9/28).


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