RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

Attention: Directorate
           Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
           Ranger Activities Division Information Network

Day/Date:  Wednesday, June 17, 1992

INCIDENTS

92-278 - Biscayne (Florida) - Building Collapse; Rescue

On the afternoon of June 13th, a house located in the northern portion of
the park collapsed, injuring at least seven people.  The house was one of 14
inholdings built over water in Biscayne Bay in an area known as Stiltsville. 
An estimated 150 to 200 people were attending a large party sponsored by
Bachelor's Club, Inc. when an approaching severe rainstorm caused everyone
to move into the structure.  Under all this weight, a large portion of the
house collapsed and fell about ten feet to the water, sending people
tumbling onto one another.  People scrambled out of windows, doors and
gaping holes in the walls in an effort to reach safety.  Park rangers and
officers from every nearby federal, state and local enforcement agency with
boats responded to the scene and assisted in evacuating victims.  [Bill
Hudson, BISC, via telefax from Marcella Gibson, RAD/SERO, 6/16]

92-279 - New River Gorge (West Virginia) - Rescue

G.B., 23, of Harrisonburg, Virginia, fell about 50 feet while lead
climbing "The Undeserved" route in the Endless Wall area around 3:00 p.m. on
the afternoon of June 13th.  Another climber ran out for help and reported
the incident to rangers 45 minutes later.  The park's SAR team responded,
provided initial treatment for G.B.'s injuries, and extricated him by a
90-foot vertical litter raise directly above the accident site.  The litter
raise was completed just before 6:00 p.m., and medical treatment was
transferred over to a flight paramedic crew from HealthNet Aero Medical
Services.  Rangers then evacuated the patient overland to a waiting
ambulance.  At 6:30 p.m., G.B. was loaded into a waiting HealthNet
helicopter and taken to a nearby medical center.  G.B. sustained
fractured vertebrae in the thoracic and lumbar region, head injuries, and
fractures to his pelvis, wrist and lower leg.  He is presently in stable
condition and expected to make a full recovery.  [Fax from Rick Brown,
Canyon DR, NERI, 6/16]

92-280 - Shenandoah (Virginia) - Conviction for Assault on Ranger

On the evening of May 9th, rangers Cliff Spencer and Tom Parrack responded
to a report of a fight in progress in the Big Meadows Campground and
arrested R.C., Jr., 24, and M.R., 24, both of
Hyattsville, Maryland, for disorderly conduct and public intoxication. 
R.C. subsequently attempted to kick out one of the windows of a patrol
vehicle, and tried to kick Spencer in the groin while being restrained. 
Spencer, a defensive tactics instructor, deflected the kick and
instinctively struck R.C. once on the shin with a flashlight.  R.C.
became compliant and caused no further trouble.  An additional charge of
felony assault on a federal police officer was lodged against him.  On June
11th, both men appeared in magistrate's court.  R.C. pled guilty to
misdemeanor assault, disorderly conduct and public intoxication and was
sentenced to a year's probation and a $450 fine; M.R. pled guilty to
disorderly conduct and public intoxication and was sentenced to a year's
probation and a $150 fine.  [cc:Mail report from Larry Hakel, CR, SHEN,
6/16]

92-281 - Indiana Dunes (Indiana) - Assaults; Gang Activity

On June 9th, a group of youths, subsequently identified as members of a gang
known as the Disciples, encountered a second group of youths, members of a
gang called the People, on West Beach near park lifeguards.  A fight broke
out when words were exchanged between the two groups, and rangers were
called in to intervene.  Members of both groups suffered minor injuries, but
no weapons were used in the assault.  No charges were filed.  Members of
both groups were contacted and detained while computer checks were run.  One
person was identified as a juvenile runaway-ward of the court.  While
interviewing the suspects and victims in the parking lot, other members of
the People arrived in vehicles and appeared to be waiting for an opportunity
to take advantage of the situation.  Members of the Disciples subsequently
left the area promptly.  This is the first confirmed confrontation with gang
members in the West Beach area, although the state park has made previous
arrests of gang members for various incidents.  Intelligence information
gathered on local groups indicates that West Beach may be the new prime
target area for gang activity.  Meanwhile, rangers have been seeing an
increase in the number of criminal incidents occurring in the park,
including narcotics possession, weapons possession, prostitution, and a
variety of other infractions.  They've made about 15 cases involving both
citations and arrests in the last two weeks.  [Fax from Tom Thompson,
RAD/MWRO, 6/15]

92-282 - Indiana Dunes (Indiana) - Marijuana Eradication

Park rangers discovered 298 marijuana plants in the park on May 19th and
another 531 more plants in the same area four days later.  Many of the
plants seemed to be wild, but some had been cultivated.  All of the plants
were removed for destruction.  The value of the marijuana was estimated at
$204,000.  [Dick Littlefield, CR, INDU, via fax from Rich Murphy, RLES,
RAD/WRO, 6/16]

92-283 - Guadalupe Mountains (Texas) - Rescue

Around 9:00 p.m. on the evening of June 14th, the park received a report of
a hiker experiencing difficulties on Lost Peak, an area 12 miles from Dog
Canyon.  Rangers Greg Moss and Mike Bencic responded and reached hiker
R.A., 49, at 1:00 a.m.  Atkins, who was on medication, had high
blood pressure and was experiencing heat exhaustion.  The rangers treated
him, then walked him out to Dog Canyon.  [Greg Moss, GUMO, via fax from
Bonnie Winslow, RAD/SWRO, 6/16]

FIRE ACTIVITY

1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level I

2) FIRE SUMMARY

State  Agency     Area            Fire               6/16    6/17    Status

 AK    State  Tok Area           213225 - T2       25,000  26,880    NEC
                                 213235               650   1,000    NEC
              Tanana Zone        231239 - T2        1,000   1,200    NEC

 CA    USFS   Los Padres NF      Oso                  100     350    CND

 AZ    State  -                * Silver                 -     614    CND

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
  CL - Controlled              MN - Being monitored
  CS - Confinement strategy    NEC - No estimate of containment
  CN (date) - Expected date    CND - Contained
     of containment

3) FIRE NARRATIVES - 

* Yellowstone - The park has received more than an inch of rain parkwide
  over the past two days, and some areas have received more than two 
  inches of precipitation.  The status of the Ash, Mud and Mush Fires is
  not known, as flights have not been conducted because of the weather
  and aircraft unavailability.  The Alpine hotshot crew will be released
  on Thursday.

* Joshua Tree - Engine 2 was dispatched to the Antelope Fire outside
  the park on Monday, but was released late in the evening.

* Lava Beds - Engine 11 responded to a holdover fire just south of the 
  monument Monday afternoon and was still on the fire yesterday.

* Sequoia/Kings Canyon - The Arrowhead hotshot crew has been committed to
  the Pit Fire.

4) ANALYSIS - Cooler weather and scattered precipitation have lowered
   indices throughout the Great Basin, Northwest and Northern areas.
   
5) PROGNOSIS - No resource shortages expected.

[NPS Wildland Fire Summary, 6/17; NIFCC Intelligence Section, 6/17]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

El Malpais (New Mexico) - C-14 Dating

On June 15th, researchers from Los Alamos National Laboratories reported
that a Carbon-14 date recorded on wood material that was buried and charred
by the Bandera lava flow indicates that the eruptions of the crater occurred
within 70 years of 1970 BP.  If other samples that they have collected also
fall into this time period, then the Bandera flow is much younger than
previously thought.  Prior research indicated that the flow was between
15,000 and 30,000 years old.  The researchers are undertaking this work with
NPS cooperation, but on their own time and at their own expense.  [Ken
Mabery, CR, ELMA]

STAFF STATUS

Division Chief: No leave or travel scheduled.

Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Martin at oil spill response
meeting, Key Largo, FL (6/17-6/19); Marriott at meeting, El Paso, TX (6/16-6/19);
Lee on annual leave (6/19); Coffey on detail to WASO Wildlife and
Vegetation; Halainen in training, Washington, DC (6/17).

Branch of Fire and Aviation: Hurd at aviation meeting in SERO, Atlanta, GA
(6/15); Spruill at aviation overview, Everglades and Big Cypress, FL (6/15-6/19);
Erskine on annual leave (6/8-6/19); Mattingly instructing S-230,
Hawaii Volcanoes, HI (6/14-6/22); Bristol at InciNet steering committee
meeting, Sacramento, CA (6/15-6/19).

Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities

Telephone:  Branch of R&VP - FTS 268-4874/6039 or 202-208-4874/6039
            Branch of F&A (WASO) - FTS 268-5572/5573 or 202-208-5572/5573

Telefax:    Branch of R&VP - FTS 268-6756 or 202-208-6756
            Branch of F&A (WASO) - FTS 268-5977 or 202-208-5977

CompuServe: Branch of R&VP - WASO-RANGER
            Branch of F&A (WASO) - WASO-FIRE-WO

cc:Mail     Branch of R&VP - WASO Ranger Activities
            Branch of F&A (WASO) - WASO Fire and Aviation