RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

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

Day/Date:  Friday, July 17, 1992

INCIDENTS

92-352 - Blue Ridge (North Carolina/Virginia) - Fatal MVA

On the afternoon of July 15th, M.P., 25, of Palatka, Florida, and
his father were riding on separate motorcycles on the parkway when M.P.
entered a sharp curve, lost control of his bike, and went over an embankment
into trees and rocks.  He suffered head injuries, a broken neck and other
internal injuries.  His father and an EMT at the site administered CPR, but
were unable to resuscitate him. [Larry Freeman, BLRI, 7/16]

92-353 - Yosemite (California) - Rescue

On July 14th, four persons were rescued from the shoulder of Half Dome after
a large tree limb fell onto their campsite, injuring two of them.  Hikers
C.O and S.O. and P.S. and T.S. had camped at the location on
the previous evening, and intended to hike to the top of Half Dome the
following morning.  At 5:30 a.m., a 50-pound, eight-foot-long tree limb from
an overhanging red fir fell about 100 feet and struck C.O. and P.S.
C.O. sustained an open fracture of the left lower leg and decreased
blood circulation to the leg; P.S.'s left ankle was injured.  A rescue crew
was flown to the area and provided advanced life support to the victims, who
were then flown to Yosemite Valley.  C.O. was immediately transferred to a
commercial medical helicopter and taken to the Modesto Medical Center.  P.S.
was treated at the park medical clinic.  [John Roth, YOSE, 7/16]

FIRE ACTIVITY

1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level I

2) FIRE SUMMARY

State  Agency     Area           Fire                7/16    7/17    Status

 FL    USFS   Ocala NF          Juniper Wilderness  2,015   2,015    CND

 ID    USFS   Boise NF          Jenkins               100     170    CND    

 CA    CDF    San Diego RU    * Star Ranch              -     300    NEC

 NV    State  -               * Dry Creek               -     840    CN 7/16

 AZ    BIA    Pima Agency     * 725                     -     250    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            DM - Demob in progress

3) FIRE REPORT HIGHLIGHTS - 

* Yosemite - The park was "pounded" with lightning and rain on Tuesday
  afternoon.  Despite significant amounts of rain, 19 fires were started.
  Eleven are in the suppression area and eight are in the prescribed
  natural fire zone.  Ten of the suppression fires were staffed, and
  firefighters were to rappel into the last one yesterday.  Remaining
  fires were to be flown to determine if any needed suppression.  

* Sequoia/Kings Canyon - The park also received a good deal of 
  lightning early in the week and reports several new fires.  More
  scattered thunderstorms are expected this weekend.  The Arrowhead
  hotshot crew is on station and available.

* Saguaro - The Lucky Fire has burned a dozen acres and is being
  monitored.

4) FIRE ACTIVITY - 143 fires for 1,469 acres in past 24 hours.

5) ANALYSIS - Fire dangers remain moderate to very high over much of the
   West.  Increased initial attack activity is anticipated.

6) PROGNOSIS - No resource shortages expected.

[NIFCC Intelligence Section, 7/17]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Coulee Dam (Washington) - Forest Health Survey

Resource management rangers are conducting a forest insect and disease risk
assessment survey of the developed zones along Lake Roosevelt this summer. 
The survey was initiated in response to a major regional outbreak of the
western pine beetle (Dendroctonus brevicomis), an aggressive insect that
attacks and kills thick-barked pines.  This beetle and other forest insects
and diseases are common in the inland Northwest, but multi-year drought
conditions, windfalls, decades of fire suppression, and improper regional
forest management practices have left local ponderosa pine forests
overmature, weakened and vulnerable to pine beetle outbreaks.  The survey is
designed to assess the overall health of forests in the park and to
establish a proactive identification, inventory and monitoring program for
treatment of problems. [Karen Taylor-Goodrich, RMS, CODA]

STAFF STATUS

Division Chief: Brady conducting field interviews for "Ranger Futures"
project (7/13-7/15).

Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Henry at aircraft overflight
contract meeting, Boston, MA (7/13-7/17); Marriott at meeting at Lake Mead,
NV (7/12-7/22).

Branch of Fire and Aviation: Hurd at IFF fire education task force meeting,
Boise, ID (7/13-7/17); Spruill at DOI aviation meeting, Boise, ID (7/13-7/17);
Norum conducting fire reviews at Isle Royale, Sleeping Bear Dunes,
Pictured Rocks, and Indiana Dunes (7/13-7/25); Botti and Rutter at WASO
budget meeting (7/13-7/15); Crabtree in training, Denver, CO (7/13-7/17).

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