- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Tuesday, June 30, 1992
- Date: Tues, 30 Jun 1992
RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
Ranger Activities Division Information Network
Day/Date: Tuesday, June 30, 1992
INCIDENTS
92-298 - Cape Cod (Massachusetts) - Follow-up on Beach Closures
On Saturday, June 27th, four chicks hatched from a piping plover nest
located at the Race Point Beach entrance to one of the park's ORV corridors,
and the park subsequently closed the South Beach area to self-contained
vehicles (SCVs). This was the last open SCV area in the park. All but a
third of a mile of the eight and a half mile section of ORV route is now
closed - the most significant closure the park has had to date. The route
will probably remain closed until mid-July, when the birds fledge. There
was a meeting between representatives from the park and several ORV group
users on June 26th in anticipation of the event; despite these discussions
and their awareness of the imminence of the closure, some ORV users reacted
with anger and made threats against the park. The park is allowing the
approximately 100 SCVs that are already camping in the South Beach area to
remain for the usual 72 hours. Park staff will monitor the four chicks and
escort the campers and their SCVs out of the closed area when their time
limits are reached. No other SCVs will be allowed into the area. Space has
been designated at Race Point Beach for SCVs, and the North Beach SCV area
will probably open between July 7th and 10th. Park staffers believe that a
real potential exists for confrontations with and civil disobedience by ORV
users between now and the end of the Fourth of July weekend. A six-person
SET team, from two to four Fish and Wildlife Service special agents, and
Fish and Wildlife's regional endangered species coordinating officer will be
in the park during that period. There are now 46 pairs of plovers nesting
on park beaches. [Tony Bonano, CR, CACO, and Ginny Rousseau, RCR, RAD/NARO,
6/29]
92-307 - Grand Canyon (Arizona) - Follow-up on Search for Felon
At 6:20 p.m. yesterday evening, D.H. reappeared at a picnic area
between Grandview Point and Moran Point on the East Rim Drive, about 14
miles east of Grand Canyon Village, approached two foreign visitors with a
gun drawn, and attempted to take them hostage. When they refused to go with
him, he drove off in their vehicle, heading westbound on the drive. The
victims were taken by other visitors to the village, where they flagged down
a ranger and reported what had happened. The report came no more than 15
minutes after the incident. Since the possibility of his stealing another
car had been anticipated, the law enforcement agencies involved in the
search for D.H. immediately activated plans to block all area roads and
had units in place within minutes. The vehicle was spotted on the Kaibab
National Forest east of Tusayan, which is on the park's south boundary about
ten miles from Grand Canyon Village. A 600-square-mile search area has been
established, and efforts are currently underway to locate the vehicle. Two
more NPS SET teams will be mobilized from Rocky Mountain Region this morning
and sent to the park. According to news reports, D.H. escaped from the
state prison in Florence, 50 miles from Phoenix, on May 12th, disguised in a
lab coat. Authorities have been pursuing him since that time. Because of
his elusiveness, some media reports are characterizing D.H. as a "Rambo"
type figure. [Ken Phillips, IC team, GRCA, 6/30, and AP report, 6/29]
92-308 - Joshua Tree (California) - Follow-up on Earthquake
The 7.4 earthquake and 6.5 aftershocks which occurred on June 28th and the
numerous aftershocks (averaging about one every ten minutes) inflicted
limited damage on park facilities. The Black Rock Visitor Center had some
structural damage and has been closed. Other buildings in the Black Rock
area received minor damage, but nothing significant enough to limit their
use. Some employees living outside the park reported major damage to their
residences. Buildings in the Yucca Valley - Morongo Basin area continue to
fall, the communities of Yucca Valley and Landers have no water, over 100
people are in shelters, and there have been three deaths and 350 injuries.
The quake covered a 45-mile area with an 18-foot displacement. By
comparison, the 1906 quake in San Francisco caused only a 15-foot
displacement. This is the largest displacement in the past 100 years and
the largest quake in the past 40 years. [Paul Henry, CR, JOTR, 6/29]
92-310 - Death Valley (California) - Earthquake
A quake which registered approximately 6.0 on the Richter scale struck Death
Valley at 6:30 a.m. on the morning of June 28th. It is not clear whether
this quake was related to the one which occurred beneath Joshua Tree at
about the same time. Witnesses reported seeing a long stream of dust along
the fault line near the Furnace Creek residential area. The quake caused a
twelve-foot surge in Devil's Hole, which dislodged pumping equipment at the
surface and knocked it into the hole. No other major damage occurred in the
park. [Ed Rothfuss, SUPT, DEVA, 6/29]
92-311 - Lake Meredith (Texas) - Storm Damage
A severe thunderstorm with four tornados, large hail, high winds and heavy
rain struck the park and Fritch, Texas, at about 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, June
27th. Many trees, most park boat ramps, and a dozen vehicles were damaged
to some degree; damage to park structures was minimal, but the homes of four
employees received more significant damage. The damage estimate for the
park is placed at $50,000. The town of Fritch and two local counties have
been declared disaster areas with 200 homes destroyed and heavy damage
reported to 800 homes and many vehicles and campers. FEMA has been brought
in and park headquarters are being used as the command post for area
operations. All park resources have been dedicated to these efforts, and
most park employees are working 12-hour shifts. A thorough search of the
entire community and all structures for dead and injured persons is in
progress. A similar effort is underway on park lands. The park has serious
concerns about handling anticipated crowds on the Fourth of July weekend and
will be working with region on acquiring needed assistance. [Bill Tanner,
RCR, RAD/SWRO, 6/29]
92-312 - Padre Island (Texas) - Major Drug Seizure
On June 15th, a joint operation between park rangers and members of Joint
Task Force Six (JTF-6) was begun with the objective of employing area
surveillance to identify and interdict drug smuggling through the park.
Just after midnight on June 16th, a blacked-out Zodiac boat was seen
unloading two ATVs on the north shore of Mansfield Channel. Five
individuals loaded six packages on the back of the ATVs, then the blacked
out ATVs with four persons aboard headed north on the beach. After the ATVs
returned, they were placed on the Zodiac and the boat headed south across
the channel. U.S. Customs responded as requested with a Citation jet
equipped with forward-looking infrared (FLIR) equipment and filmed the
boat's passage. Customs officers interdicted and apprehended the
individuals on the boat and seized the boat, two ATVs, two vehicles and a
trailer on South Padre Island. The suspects were interviewed, identified
and photographed. A law enforcement response team started an on-scene
investigation early that morning. The ATVs were tracked from the shore line
to a point 50 yards past the 40-mile marker when the incoming tide
obliterated the tracks. A search from the termination point of the tracks
to the 30-mile marker resulted in no leads or evidence. Due to the lack of
evidence, all persons and property were released by Customs. One was an
illegal alien and was turned over to the Border Patrol; another was reported
to have an extensive criminal history. On June 23rd, a law enforcement team
comprised of rangers and Border Patrol, Customs and Coast Guard officers
conducted a search of the dunes from the 60-mile marker to the 30-mile
marker with the assistance of two Customs Blackhawk helicopters but found
nothing. The next day, two rangers searching the dunes from the 45-mile
marker to the 40-mile marker found a camouflaged cache containing 1,356
pounds of marijuana. Customs responded, and the investigation and evidence
were turned over to them. Customs is currently trying to locate all
property and persons involved in this incident. The value of the marijuana
has been placed at $3 million. [Dan Wirth, PAIS, 6/25]
92-313 - Rocky Mountain (Colorado) - Lightning Fatality
A 31-year-old male climber was killed by lightning in the vicinity of
Hallett Peak around 9:00 p.m. on the evening of Sunday, June 28th. The
climber, whose name is being withheld until relatives are notified, was
climbing Hallett's Chimney with J.S., 51, when the incident occurred.
Smart hiked out to a trailhead early yesterday morning and called the Estes
Park police, who notified the park. Two climbing rangers and a helicopter
were dispatched to the scene. The victim's body was retrieved and flown to
Upper Beaver Meadows, then transported to the coroner. [Jim Mack, ROMO,
6/29]
92-314 - Shenandoah (Virginia) - Rescue
On the afternoon of June 27th, the park received a report from a member of a
University of Virginia hiking party stating that the group had encountered a
man near the summit of Old Rag who had fallen 20 feet off a ledge and had
sustained a lumbar fracture and numerous abrasions to his face and back.
The members of the party, most of whom were EMTs, stabilized the victim,
57-year-old C.F., and provided advanced life support. C.F. remained
coherent throughout the ordeal, and his vital signs remained within non-life
threatening ranges. A dozen rangers and a park medic responded to Old Rag
and prepared C.F. for air evacuation by a Park Police helicopter. He was
lifted by hoists, then flown to the University of Virginia hospital in
Charlottesville. [Larry Hakel, CR, SHEN, 6/29]
92-315 - Chickamauga-Chattanooga (Georgia) - MVA with Fatality
M.K., 22, was killed on the afternoon of June 24th when the pickup
truck she was driving left the roadway on a sharp curve north of Osburn Road
and struck a tree. Her passenger, R.D., was thrown into the rear
of the truck and sustained severe head injuries. He was transported to a
medical center in Chattanooga. Preliminary investigation indicates that the
accident may be alcohol-related. [Jim Staub, CHCH, 6/26]
92-316 - Mount Rainier (Washington) - Rescue
Early on the morning of June 23rd, the park received a report from a local
sheriff's office that T.H., 48, a member of a three-person climbing
team on the mountain, had suffered an apparent fractured ankle when he broke
through some snow on the east side of the summit and struck some rocks. The
call had come by cellular phone from the party's leader. T.H. had
fractured his ankle the day before. Although his boot was removed and his
foot was packed with ice, it became obvious by the following day that
evacuation would be necessary. A Chinook helicopter was requested from Fort
Lewis and arrived on scene just before noon. Three rangers flew to the
summit and retrieved T.H. and the rest of his party. All three climbers
are very experienced and made no obvious errors. [Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO,
6/26]
92-317 - Grand Canyon (Arizona) - Falling Fatality
A 28-year-old male fell 100 feet to his death while rock hopping at Francois
Matthes Point on the park's North Rim on June 25th. The unidentified man
was the leader of a commercial bicycling tour group out of Moab, Utah. The
reporting party had to ride for 45 minutes to reach a paved road. [Chuck
Dorn, GRCA, 6/26]
92-318 - Colonial (Virginia) - Drowning
C.E., 23, of Williamsburg, Virginia, was crabbing in the York
River near Colonial Parkway on the afternoon of June 27th when he apparently
stepped into a deep hole and disappeared. Other members of his group
reported that C.E. was a poor swimmer. A search was conducted by rangers
and local fire and rescue personnel; they recovered his body about three
hours later. Alcohol is believed to have been a factor. The river is
outside park jurisdiction, and the investigation is being coordinated with
state authorities. [Jim Burnett, CR, COLO, 6/27]
92-319 - Lake Mead (Nevada) - Drowning
On June 27th, W.M., 3, was playing on his father's boat at Moon
Cove while his father was sunbathing. When the father went looking for his
son around 4:00 p.m., he found him floating face down in the water near the
boat. The boy was transported to Las Vegas and place on life support
equipment, but died the next day. [Terry Green, LAME, 6/29]
92-320 - Lake Mead (Nevada) - Drowning
J.D., 33, a Mexican national, was swimming with two friends in
Hemingway Harbor on June 12th when he began experiencing difficulties. A
friend attempted to rescue him but was unsuccessful. A visitor on a jet ski
who was passing by was able to rescue J.D. He was pronounced dead at
a Las Vegas hospital on June 27th. [Terry Green, LAME, 6/29]
92-321 - Blue Ridge (North Carolina/Virginia) - Marijuana Seizure
A team comprised of units from the park, Virginia State Police, and Floyd
County sheriff's office discovered and eradicated 86 marijuana plants in the
park's Rocky Knob district over the weekend. The estimated street value of
the plants has been placed at $15,000. [Steve Alscher, RLES, RAD/SERO,
6/29]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level II
2) FIRE SUMMARY
State Agency Area Fire 6/29 6/30 Status
OR USFS Okanogan NF McCay - T2 500 500 CN 7/2
BLM Burns Dist. Alvord 1,000+ 6,075 CND
WA BIA Colville Agency Boot Mtn. - T2 15,259 15,259 CN 6/30
ID BLM Boise Dist. Presley 2,300 9,100 CND
UT USFS Uinta NF * Dry Creek - 400 NEC
NM USFS Santa Fe NF * Clara - 150 NEC
CO BLM Craig Dist. * Big Cedar - 100+ NEC
* Draw - 140 CN 6/30
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 DM - Demob in progress
3) FIRE REPORT HIGHLIGHTS - No significant reports.
4) FIRE ACTIVITY - 310 fires for 10, 113 acres in past 24 hours.
5) ANALYSIS - Major demobilization is underway on fires in Washington.
6) PROGNOSIS - Initial attack activity is expected to continue because of
on-going thunderstorms. No resource shortages are expected.
[NIFCC Intelligence Section, 6/30]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
No field reports today.
THIS WEEK IN CONGRESS
The following activities will be taking place in Congress this week on
matters pertaining to the National Park Service. If you would like further
information on any of these hearings or bills, please contact Dottie in WASO
Legislation at 202-208-3636:
Tuesday
House Interior and Insular Affairs' Subcommittee National Parks and Public
Lands [Vento]:
Hearing on HR-3227, Keweenaw NHP; HR-5021, to amend the Wild
and Scenic Rivers Act for the purpose of determining the eligibility and
suitability of designating a segment of the New River as a national wild and
scenic river.
Wednesday
House Interior and Insular Affairs Committee [Miller]:
Mark-up of pending legislation.
STAFF STATUS
Division Chief: Brady conducting field interviews for "Ranger Futures"
project (6/28-7/3).
Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Henry on annual leave (6/25-7/2);
Smith on annual leave (6/22-7/2); Coffey on detail to WASO Wildlife and
Vegetation.
Branch of Fire and Aviation: No leave or travel scheduled.
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