RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

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

Day/Date:  Wednesday, August 19, 1992

INCIDENTS

92-439 - Rocky Mountain (Colorado) - Climbing Fatality

Three college students from Grand Valley State University in Michigan were
descending from the summit of 11,586-foot Little Matterhorn via the
mountain's steep northern face on the morning of August 16th when one of
them lost his footing and fell about a thousand feet to his death.  The man,
whose identification is being withheld pending notification of his family,
was attempting to descend by a different route than his companions.  All
three were part of a geology field trip to the park and were taking
advantage of a free day before returning to the university.  They had
attained the summit via a class three climbing route used by most
non-technical climbers.  The exact cause of the fall is not known.  The accident
is under investigation.  [James Mack, PIO, ROMO, 8/18]

92-440 - Zion (Utah) - Rescue

On the afternoon of August 12th, four young Utah men attempted to descend
into the canyon at Pine Creek Narrows utilizing a rope purchased from a
hardware store.  Because of the sheerness of the rock face and the numerous
pour-offs, full-length climbing ropes, some climbing equipment and some
expertise on their use are required for this descent.  Despite their lack of
all three, the group descended to the first pour-off, leaving a portion of
their rope behind.  At the second pour-off, three of the youths descended to
the end of the now-shortened rope, then dropped into a plunge pool.  The
fourth member decided not to take the plunge and was therefore able to
retreat and report that his companions were unable to get out of the pool. 
Four rangers and a local climber responded, rappelled to the trio,
demonstrated ascending techniques, and belayed the youths out of the
canyon - their first ascent, conducted on vertical rock and in the dark. 
The rescue operation was completed at 11:00 p.m.  [Larry Van Slyke, CR,
ZION, 8/17]

92-441 - Sleeping Bear Dunes (Michigan) - Explosive Ordnance

On August 15th, visitors to South Manitou Island reported finding military-type
ordnance on the west side of the island.  Investigating rangers
measured and photographed the device and provided the information to the
75th Ordnance Detachment at Selfridge Army National Guard base in Michigan. 
They identified the object as a live naval armor-piercing, high-explosive
shell and said that it would have to be destroyed.  Rangers closed the area
and established a thousand-foot perimeter around the shell.  Ordnance
personnel then set an explosive charge on the shell and employed a remote
relay system to detonate it from a park boat about a half mile west of the
island in Lake Michigan.  South Manitou Island was used for target practice
by the military during the World War II era, and other live shells may be
buried in the sand on the island.  [Al Haeker, CR, SLBE, 8/17]

92-442 - New River Gorge (West Virginia) - Marijuana Eradication

Rangers participated in a major marijuana eradication effort in New River
Gorge, Gauley River and surrounding counties during the period from August
10th to the 12th.  The effort was jointly coordinated by the park, Fayette
County sheriff's department and state police; a helicopter from the Wood
County sheriff's department, operating under a federal grant, was used to
locate marijuana plantations throughout the area.  Over the three-day
period, nine sites containing 96 plants were found inside and outside the
two park areas.  A ground crew made up of rangers, deputies and troopers
then moved in and eradicated the plants.  No arrests were made, but some
leads are currently being pursued.  Two notable incidents occurred during
the operation.  On the 11th, a helicopter observer spotted marijuana plants
along a power line.  As the helicopter turned back, the observer saw one man
run from a suspect residence toward the plot and a second jump on a tractor
with a bush hog attached and race across a field.  They next saw the tractor
along the edge of the power line, where it was pulling the bush hog very
quickly along a section about 50 yards long.  The tractor then returned to
the point where it was originally parked and the driver returned to the
house.  The observer and pilot were unable to find any marijuana plants when
the returned to scout the site that the tractor had mowed.  On August 12th,
the pilot of the helicopter and a ranger serving as an aerial observer saw a
man at a suspected farm on the boundary of Gauley River lay what appeared to
be a pistol on the hood of his truck and aim it at the helicopter.  The
pilot immediately left the area and reported the incident to the ground
crew.  The owner of the farm is known to have grown marijuana in the past,
has a history of violent behavior, and has made verbal threats against
police officers in the past.  [Rick Brown, DR, NERI, 8/17]

92-443 - Yosemite (California) - Commercial Vehicle Inspections

During the period from August 11th to the 13th, park rangers, in cooperation
with the state highway patrol and public utility commission, conducted
commercial vehicle inspections at two locations in the park.  A total of 114
vehicles were stopped; 19 were put out of service for mechanical violations,
19 drivers had licenses suspended for various violations, and 159 citations
were issued.  This and similar inspections have been highly successful in
obtaining regulatory compliance from drivers and commercial vehicle
companies entering the park.  [Law Enforcement Office, YOSE, 8/18]

FIRE ACTIVITY

1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level II

2) FIRE SUMMARY

State  Agency     Area             Fire               8/18    8/19   Status
 
 OR    USFS    Fremont NF         Disappointment - T2  245     245   CND    

 CA    CDF     Tuolumne-
                Calaveras RU      Old Gulch          2,500    7,000+ NEC
               Santa Clara RU     Emos                 250      250  CND
               San Diego RU       Wildcat              750    1,065  CN 8/19
       USFS    Los Padres         Slickrock            750    1,700+ NEC    
                                * Gorge                  -      200  CN 8/19

 ID    USFS    Caribou NF         Grandine             700      700  CND    

 Notes:

 * - New fire (this report)         T1/T2 - Type 1 or Type 2 team committed
 NEC - No estimate of containment   CN (date) - Expected date of containment
 NR - No report received            CND - Contained

3) FIRE REPORT HIGHLIGHTS - 

 * NPS Areas - No significant fires have been reported.  The fire danger is
   extreme in Sequoia/Kings Canyon and very high in Lava Beds, Pinnacles,
   Whiskeytown, Great Basin and Cumberland Island.

 * Tuolumne-Calaveras RU - The Old Gulch Fire continues to threaten
   structures.  Five local settlements are being evacuated.  

4) FIRE ACTIVITY - 248 fires for 11,871 acres in the past 24 hours.

5) ANALYSIS - Initial attack activity is continuing.  Large fires are
   burning in both the north and south zones in California.  Numerous units
   in several Western areas continue to report very high to extreme fire
   indices.

6) PROGNOSIS - Activity is expected to continue due to new and holdover
   lightning fires.  A red flag watch is in effect for strong winds and
   low humidity for the east slopes of the Cascades.

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No field reports today.

STAFF STATUS

Division Chief: Brady conducting "Ranger Future" site visits (8/17-8/21).

Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Sisto attending management grid
training session, Tampa, FL (8/17-8/21); Henry at wilderness and aircraft
overflight meetings, PNRO, Seattle, WA (8/19-8/22).

Branch of Fire and Aviation: Botti on annual leave (8/19-8/21).

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