- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Thursday, August 6, 1992
- Date: Thurs, 6 Aug 1992
RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
Ranger Activities Division Information Network
Day/Date: Thursday, August 6, 1992
INCIDENTS
92-391 - Yosemite (California) - Structural Fire
At about 2:00 a.m. on August 3rd, the owners of a private residence in
Wawona awoke two seasonal rangers in their quarters across the street and
reported that their home was on fire. The rangers could see flames rapidly
spreading through the structure and summoned assistance. Responding units,
which included both structural and wildland fire engines, arrived to find
the structure fully involved, with fire spreading through approximately a
half acre of ground cover. The fire was quickly contained, and mop-up
operations continued until 6:00 a.m. The structure, which consisted of an
old mobile home with wood additions, was a total loss. The cause of the
fire is being investigated by the state fire marshall's office. [Pat
Hattaway, YOSE, 8/5]
92-392 - Yosemite (California) - Car Clouting
Rangers began receiving reports concerning a series of car clouts in the
Tuolumne Meadows campground early on the morning of August 2nd, and
eventually determined that seven vehicles had been broken into between 12:30
and 6:00 a.m. Most of the vehicles were locked at the time of the break-ins,
and there were no signs of forced entry. Many of the vehicles were
relocked after the incident. Approximately $1,000 in cash was taken, but
many of the vehicles contained cameras and other valuables which were left
untouched. None of the victims saw or heard anything. One visitor was
asleep in the back of his pickup truck when the break-in occurred. There
are no significant leads, and the case is still under investigation.
[Kristin Bardsley, YOSE, 8/5]
92-393 - Rocky Mountain (Colorado) - Car Clouting
On the morning of July 21st, rangers discovered seven car clouts in the Bear
Lake Road area. The thief or thieves had broken car windows with a hammer
type instrument - an MO which was similar to one used in five other car
clouts in the park and Estes Valley during the previous week. Purses and
wallets appear to be the primary targets. Due to the unprofessional nature
of the clouts, rangers are closely coordinating their investigation with the
Larimer County sheriff. [Joe Evans, CR, ROMO, 7/28]
92-394 - Mammoth Cave (Kentucky) - Serious Employee Injury
Early on the afternoon of July 28th, ranger Roy Hundley was assisting a
visitor during a cave tour when he tripped and fell from the trail into
loose cave rock. He sustained a broken tooth, lacerations and abrasions to
his left arm, and severe trauma injury to his face. ICS was implemented,
and Hundley was extricated from the cave by park employees assisted by local
ambulance personnel. He was taken to a hospital in Bowling Green, where he
underwent surgery to repair damage to his upper lip. Further surgery will
likely be required. Hundley was released from the hospital on July 31st.
[MACA, 8/4]
92-395 - New River Gorge (West Virginia) - Special Event
A film company from Santa Monica, California, filmed a stunt involving the
bungee dropping of a GMC truck off the New River Gorge bridge over the
three-day period from July 23rd to the 25th. Since the stunt, which was
being done for a television commercial, took place above the park, special
safety precautions on the river and adjacent lands had to be developed and
carried out to ensure safe passage for thousands of whitewater rafters.
Because the event attracted large crowds, the park joined with local police
and EMS personnel under the incident command system to manage crowds and
traffic and provide necessary emergency services. All expenses associated
with the incident command operation were covered under a special use permit,
whereby the film company was charged for all related overtime, regular time
and administrative costs. The three days of filming were uneventful except
for one major medical incident in which rangers rescued a visitor who fell
50 feet and suffered internal and back injuries. The victim was evacuated
to the nearest landing zone and taken by air ambulance to a local hospital.
[Regina Carrico, NERI, 7/28]
92-396 - Glen Canyon (Utah/Arizona) - Drowning
On the afternoon of July 30th, A.M., 35, a Grand Canyon Lodge
seasonal employee originally from Cranston, Rhode Island, drowned off Lone
Rock Beach. A.M., who was visiting the park with his fiancee, also a
concessions employee at Grand Canyon, was lying on a large, round inflatable
swim toy about 100 yards from the shore when he attempted to sit up from a
reclining position and apparently fell backwards into the water. He yelled
for help several times, then slipped under the surface. NPS and concession
divers rushed to the scene in a Class Lifeguard III helicopter, but were
unable to find him in the lake's waters, which are from 40 to 60 feet deep
at that location. A.M. was reportedly a poor swimmer. Alcohol is
believed to have been a contributing factor. [Larry Clark, CR, GLCA, 7/31]
92-397 - Badlands (South Dakota) - Rescue
T.T. and his nine-year-old son attempted to climb a knife edge
going up to Norbeck Pass on the afternoon of July 30th, but became stranded
near the top in an area of extremely poor rock and high angle slopes.
Rangers responded and were successful in rescuing the pair from the
precarious location after five hours of technical rock rescue work, mostly
at night. [John Donaldson, CR, BADL, 8/1]
92-398 - Death Valley (California) - MVA with Fatality
G.W., 66, of Beatty, Nevada, died of head injuries on August 2nd
when his dune buggy rolled over near the Beatty Cutoff road and he was
ejected from the vehicle. G.W. and his wife were returning from a visit
to the park when the accident occurred. Although park medics applied
advanced life support measures, G.W. died at the scene from severe head
injuries. His wife, P.W., suffered a possible skull fracture and
fractures of the left femur and both wrists. She was evacuated by a Flight
For Life aircraft. It's not known whether either of the W.s was wearing
a seatbelt. [Mark Maciha, DEVA, 8/3]
92-399 - Rocky Mountain (Colorado) - Rescue
On the morning of July 27th, rangers responded to cries for help from a
15-year-old boy who had fallen 60 feet onto scree at the base of Twin Owls, a
popular technical climbing area. A 14-person rescue team reached the boy
and found that he had open fractures to both ankles, possible fractures to
both wrists, a flail rib and possible head and spinal injuries. The boy was
stabilized and airlifted to McKee Medical Center in Loveland, where he
underwent emergency orthopedic surgery. The prognosis is for full recovery.
[Joe Evans, CR, ROMO, 7/28]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level III
2) FIRE SUMMARY
State Agency Area Fire 8/5 8/6 Status
OR USFS Winema NF Lone Pine - T1 16,000 27,000 CN 8/8
Deschutes NF * Horse Butte - T2 - 1,200 NEC
State - East Evans Creek 4,000 8,600 CN 8/8
WA State - Skookum 1,500 1,000+ NEC
USFS Okanogan NF War Creek - T2 100 127 CND
CA USFS Los Padres NF Seco - T2 2,580 2,580 CND
* Cienega - T2 - 100+ NEC
MT USFS Kootenai NF Three Goats - T2 100 125 CN 8/7
ID USFS Boise NF County Line - T1 6,000 7,350 CN 8/14
Cub Creek - T1 1,000+ 2,787 CN 8/9
Salmon NF * Horsefly - T1 - 985 NEC
BLM Burley Dist. Curlew
Complex - T2 16,090 18,000 CN 8/6
Idaho Falls Dist. Jenkins 250 xxx CN 8/4
Sagehen 17,000 33,000 NEC
Champagne 200 3,000 NEC
NV USFS Humboldt NF Coffee Pot 21,000 38,000 NEC
* California Creek - 3,100 CN 8/6
BLM Elko Dist. Dixie Creek
Complex- T2 15,500 19,750 NEC
Idaho Line 5,500 5,500 CN 8/6
Winemucca Dist. Canyon - T2 7,180 7,180 NR
Shoshone Dist. Black Ridge
Complex 105,000 146,000 CN 8/7
Roe - T2 17,280 21,000 CND
* Kelly Mt. - 150 NEC
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 -
* NPS Areas - Personnel and equipment from several areas have been
mobilized to various Western fires, including a 20-person crew from
Olympic. There are no significant fires in the parks.
* Winema NF - The Lone Pine Fire has burned homes and autos, but many
other threatened structures have been saved by foaming and engine
protection. Four C-130 air tankers have been committed.
* Washington State - The Skookum Fire has burned a dozen homes, and 150
more are threatened.
* Oregon State - Four homes have been destroyed by the East Evans Creek
Fire and another 200 are threatened.
* Salmon NF - The Horsefly Fire is threatening the town of Shoup.
4) FIRE ACTIVITY - 188 fires for 72,590 acres in the past 24 hours.
1991 Fires (Year-To-Date): 53,747 1991 Acres (Year-To-Date): 1,896,393
1992 Fires (Year-To-Date): 65,099 1992 Acres (Year-To-Date): 1,015,677
5) ANALYSIS - Fire activity continues to increase in the Northwest and Great
Basin areas due to winds, high temperatures, and low humidities. Many
areas in the Northwest, California and the Great Basin continue to report
very high to extreme fire indices.
6) PROGNOSIS - Fire activity is expected to continue. A red flag warning
for dry lightning storms with gusty winds has been posted for western
Utah, and another for hot temperatures, low humidities and unstable air
has been issued for southeast Oregon, southern Idaho and western Wyoming.
High demand for most national resources is expected to continue.
[NIFCC Intelligence Section, 8/6; NPS National Wildland Fire Summary, 8/6]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Craters of the Moon (Idaho) - Bat Relocation
A resident population of Townsend's long-eared bat (Plecotus townsendii) was
relocated within a lava tube in the monument late in July. Anecdotal
information received in the past indicated that the bats used a lava tube in
the north end of the park, but the colony had not been seen in several
years. Approximately 100 animals were found roosting in a lava tube
complex. The bat is a Category Two species. Park staff is currently
working on a plan to prevent any disturbance to the bats. [Jon Jarvis,
CRMO]
STAFF STATUS
Division Chief: Brady on annual leave (8/3-8/7).
Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Martin on annual leave (8/3-8/7);
Schamp on annual leave (8/6-8/14); Marriott at Big Bend (8/3-8/7).
Branch of Fire and Aviation: Hurd on fire program review in Alaska (8/1-8/7);
Gale on annual leave (8/3-8/5).
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