- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Friday, August 7, 1992
- Date: Fri, 7 Aug 1992
RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
Ranger Activities Division Information Network
Day/Date: Friday, August 7, 1992
INCIDENTS
92-400 - Shenandoah (Virginia) - Search for Fugitive
Around 8:30 p.m. on the evening of July 25th, ranger Raymond O'Neil
contacted a man driving a 1986 Buick in the parking lot of Loft Mountain
Wayside, a concession gift shop and cafeteria on Skyline Drive. O'Neil ran
a check on the vehicle; as information came back that it had been stolen
from New York state, the man fled into the woods west of the Wayside. The
area was confined and a search was initiated. Evidence found in the car and
derived from additional investigation indicated that the man was R.H.,
34, of Essex Junction, Vermont, an escapee from the Vermont penal system,
and that active warrants were on file for him for burglary and escape.
Vermont state police reported that this was R.H.'s fourth escape, and that
each time he had been able to elude authorities in wooded areas, then had
moved quickly out of those areas. During one escape, R.H. was able to
elude authorities for five months. Investigators also determined that
O'Neil had encountered R.H. as he was attempting to break into the
Wayside. The search was continued into the following day, and employed five
police dogs, a helicopter, 16 rangers, and five Rockingham County deputies.
Rangers twice encountered R.H. in the Big Run drainage west of Loft
Mountain during the afternoon. On each occasion, they were able to get
within 100 feet of him, but R.H. was able to elude them in rugged terrain
and thick vegetation. The last encounter was within several hundred feet of
the park's west boundary. Rangers subsequently learned that a vehicle had
been stolen outside the park less than a half mile from the point where he'd
last been seen, and all indications are that he has fled the area. An
investigation is still underway, but active search efforts have been
terminated. [Greg Stiles, ACR, SHEN, 7/26 and 8/6]
92-401 - Indiana Dunes (Indiana) - Drug Arrests
While working in plain clothes in the West Beach parking area on July 26th,
rangers observed a number of people near a parked vehicle, approached it,
and asked the occupants if they had any marijuana for sale. The occupants
said that they didn't have any, but that they had LSD for sale. One of the
rangers purchased two hits of LSD for $14. The occupants were arrested, and
another 80 tabs of LSD were found in the vehicle. The vehicle was impounded
for further investigation. Three subjects were cited on a number of
charges, including possession of a controlled substance, sales of illicit
narcotics, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Four of the
eight subjects were released, and three adults and a juvenile were arrested.
[Joni Jones, INDU, 7/27]
92-402 - Bering Land Bridge (Alaska) - Aircraft Accident
Fish and Wildlife Service officer K.S. and a passenger were
attempting to land along the park's coastline on July 31st when K.S.
inverted the Piper Super Cub offshore and crashed. Neither pilot nor
passenger was injured. The accident is being investigated by OAS and Fish
and Wildlife. [Dennis Carruth, CR, BELA, 8/6]
92-403 - Rocky Mountain (Colorado) - Climbing Fatality
The search for G.B., 34, of Edmond, Oklahoma, culminated on July 29th
with the discovery and recovery of his body a quarter mile east of "The
Loft" at the 12,000-foot level on the north side of Mount Meeker. G.B. had
been reported overdue from a solo day climb of "The Loft" the previous day.
The location of his body indicated that he was off route when he fell over
1,000 vertical feet to his death. [Joe Evans, CR, ROMO, 7/31]
92-404 - Kaloko-Honokohau (Hawaii) - Marijuana Eradication
On July 22nd, archeologists working on the north side of 'Aimakapa Pond
discovered nine marijuana plants growing under the cover of a kiawe tree.
The plants ranged in size from two-and-a-half to four-and-a-half feet and
had an estimated street value of $9,000. The plants were removed and turned
over to county police for destruction. [Jerry Case, CR, KAHO, 7/29]
92-405 - Lava Beds (California) - Weapons Arrest
Around 4:00 a.m. on the morning of Sunday, July 26th, ranger Pat Toops
responded to noise at the park's visitor center and came upon several
individuals dressed in camouflage clothing and carrying kendo sticks. He
requested backup and was joined by rangers Terry Harris and Kirk Gebicke.
The three rangers detained eight individuals at their parked car at Catacomb
Cave. One member of the group, J.M. of Klamath Falls, Oregon, was
cited for possessing a loaded .38 revolver. It was confiscated from the
dash of the vehicle after rangers learned that county authorities had
flagged J.M.'s record as "armed and dangerous." A second person, R.M.,
also of Klamath Falls, had an extensive record and will be cited for
possession of an illegal knife. His probation officer will also be
contacted. All eight of the men were identified as white supremacists from
the Klamath Falls area. [Terry Harris, CR, LABE, 7/29]
92-406 - Yosemite (California) - High Speed Pursuit; Arrest
About a half hour before midnight on July 31st, ranger Brian Sorby attempted
to stop a speeding red Honda CRX with an expired registration on
Superintendent Straight, but the driver, G.H., 27, of Thousand
Oaks, California, did not respond to Sorby's lights and siren and continued
westward. When traffic cleared, G.H. accelerated to 60 mph. Sorby
requested assistance and was joined in the pursuit by rangers Kent Delbon,
Bruce Phillips and Mike LaLone. G.H. accelerated to speeds in excess of
90 mph and forced other vehicles off the road. When the CRX approached
Eagle Creek, Sorby passed G.H. and attempted to stop him by locking the
patrol car's emergency brakes, sliding sideways and blocking the road.
G.H. got by Sorby by driving off the road and continued on with Sorby
and Delbon behind him. At the intersection of Highways 120 and 140, the CRX
skidded to a stop. G.H. was arrested without incident and booked in
Yosemite jail on a felony charge of evasion of a peace officer and a charge
of driving on a suspended license. [Brain Sorby, YOSE, 8/4]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level III
2) FIRE SUMMARY
State Agency Area Fire 8/6 8/7 Status
OR USFS Winema NF Lone Pine - T1 27,000 29,750 CN 8/8
Deschutes NF Horse Butte - T2 1,200 1,900 CN 8/7
State - East Evans Creek 8,600 10,060 CN 8/9
WA State - Skookum 1,000+ 3,000 CN 8/8
CA USFS Los Padres NF Cienega - T2 100+ 438 NEC
MT USFS Kootenai NF Three Goats - T2 125 165 CN 8/7
ID NPS Craters/Moon NM * Little Prairie 1,900 1,900 CND
USFS Boise NF County Line - T1 7,350 8,162 CN 8/14
Cub Creek - T1 2,787 2,787 CN 8/9
Salmon NF Horsefly - T1 985 2,500 NEC
BLM Burley Dist. Curlew
Complex - T2 18,000 20,000 CND
Idaho Falls Dist. Jenkins NR xxx CN 8/4
Sagehen 33,000 33,000 CND
Champagne 3,000 2,000 CN 8/7
NV USFS Humboldt NF Coffee Pot - T2 38,000 38,000 CN 8/7
California Creek 3,100 3,100 CND
BLM Elko Dist. Dixie Creek
Complex- T2 19,750 19,750 CND
Idaho Line 5,500 5,500 CND
Winemucca Dist. Canyon - T2 7,180 7,180 CND
Shoshone Dist. Black Ridge
Complex 146,000 146,000 CND
Kelly Mt. 150 150 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 -
* Craters of the Moon NM - The Little Prairie Fire burned 1900 acres
in the park's wilderness area before running into a lava field and
burning out late on Wednesday.
4) FIRE ACTIVITY - 188 fires for 72,590 acres in past 24 hours.
1991 Fires (Year-To-Date): 54,589 1991 Acres (Year-To-Date): 1,907,447
1992 Fires (Year-To-Date): 65,178 1992 Acres (Year-To-Date): 1,071,256
5) ANALYSIS - Good progress was made on several fires with the assistance of
cooler temperatures and higher humidities. Several fires have been
contained and controlled in Idaho and Nevada. Very high to extreme fire
indices are still being reported in the Northwest, California and the
Great Basin.
6) PROGNOSIS - Fire activity on large fires is expected to continue. Red
flag watches and warnings have been posted for strong gusty winds and
low relative humidities for Washington and Oregon east of the Cascades,
all of Idaho and western Montana (except Yellowstone).
[NIFCC Intelligence Section, 8/7; Diane Wisely, Branch of F&A, Boise, 8/6]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
No field reports today.
OPERATIONAL NOTES
1) Incident Reports - Please note that the main fax for Ranger Activities
(202-208-6013) is temporarily down. If you can't get through on that number
with your incident report, please send it to the Fire and Aviation fax (202-208-5977).
2) Uniform Program Closeout and System Changes - A memorandum on uniform
allowance increases, changes in the structure of the allowance system, and
FY 92 closeout procedures was signed by the Associate Director, Operations
on August 5th and mailed to all regional directors and center managers
yesterday. An advance copy was also sent on cc:Mail to parks and regional
offices. If you did not receive the information, please contact your
regional uniform coordinator. [Bill Halainen, RAD/WASO]
3) Credential Cases - We receive frequent requests for information on where
law enforcement rangers can acquire credential cases. One source which has
come forward is MLP Enterprises at FLETC, which sells black or brown cases
with gold embossed lettering saying "National Park Service" on the cover.
To order, call Dot Prescott at 912-264-2748 or send a fax to 912-267-0430.
The cost is $16.50 plus 5% tax. If you know of other sources, please advise
us. [Maj. Jack Schamp, RAD/WASO]
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