RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

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

Day/Date:  Wednesday, September 9, 1992

Release:   0830 EDT

                        *** NOTICE ***

Due to the death of Sen. Quentin Burdick of North Dakota yesterday, all
flags at DOI facilities are to be lowered to half staff today and are to
remain at half staff until he is interred.  We will advise you when that
occurs.

INCIDENTS

92-451 - South Florida Areas - Follow-up on Hurricane Andrew

Director Ridenour will be on site today to get an overview of the damage and
meet with park and ARM Team staffs.  After a meeting at Everglades
headquarters late this morning, he will fly to Biscayne.

There are no significant new developments to report today.  The parks and
ARM Team have jointly completed a summary of the first two weeks of recovery
operations and a plan for actions which will have to be taken in coming
months.  A synopsis will appear in tomorrow's morning report.

The total personnel commitment to the recovery operation as of yesterday was
as follows (changes in numbers are indicated in parentheses): employee
assistance and CIS, 60 (same); salvage and repair, 105 (+2); security and
medical, 41 (same); support, 74 (-1); overhead, 37 (+11).  Of these 317
personnel, 272 are NPS, 29 are Forest Service, 16 are from state forestry
divisions, one is from Fish and Wildlife, and one is a volunteer.

Contributions may be sent to Andrew Relief Fund, ENP&MA, Attention: George
Minnucci, 446 North Lane, Conshohocken, PA 19428.  Checks should be made out
to ENP&MA with a notation that the contribution is for the relief fund.  

NOTE: Director Ridenour has determined that the Eastern National Park and
Monument Association may also accept donations from NPS concessioners. 
Because of potential conflicts of interest or appearance of conflicts of
interest, NPS policy prohibits the acceptance of donations from
concessioners, either directly by the Service or by others, when the gift
would benefit the Service.  The director has determined, however, that such
contributions are permissible under present circumstances.  Please note that
parks may not solicit donations from concessioners or from visitors for the
relief fund.

[Bill Gabbert and Bill Pierce, ARM Team; Carol Aten, Office of Policy, WASO;
9/9]

92-478 - Golden Gate (California) - Assault on Officer; Assailant Shot

At about 11:15 p.m. on September 7th, Park Police officer James Coates
spotted a man walking back and forth and shouting at passing cars in the
southbound traffic lanes of Great Highway just north of Sloat.  Coates
stopped to investigate out of concern for the man's safety.  The subject
then began screaming at Coates.  As Coates attempted to bring him to his
patrol car, the man walked off toward nearby sand dunes.  When Coates again
contacted him, the man suddenly turned and attacked him.  During the ensuing
scuffle, the man got Coates' flashlight and began hitting him on the head
with it.  He then ripped the officer's night stick and holder from his belt,
attempted to get his weapon, knocked him to the ground and began choking
him.  At that point, Coates was able to draw his weapon and fire three shots
at the assailant, one of which struck him.  Numerous Park Police and San
Francisco police units responded to the officer's call for help.  It took
several officers to subdue Coates' assailant even after he was shot.  The
man, who refused to identify himself and whose identity can not be
determined, is in San Francisco General Hospital being treated for a gunshot
wound.  The officer was treated for lacerations and bruises.  An
investigation into the incident is underway.  [Lt. Curtis Shane, USPP, 9/8]

92-479 - Obed (Tennessee) - Drug Arrests; Explosives

During the three day period from August 31st to September 2nd, rangers,
members of a district drug task force and county deputies found and
eradicated 150 marijuana plants, searched three homes, and made four
arrests.  Some marijuana was also found in the homes.  At one residence,
rangers and officers came upon three cases of Class A explosives, a case of
caps, 2,000 feet of primer cord and a gallon of nitroglycerine.  An
explosives disposal team was called in from Knoxville City to assist in the
removal of the explosive.  The county rescue squad, sheriff's deputies and
state highway patrol officers were called in to evacuate homes within a
quarter mile of the residence while the explosives were removed.  ATF is
investigating.  [OBED, 9/4]

92-480 - Gulf Islands (Mississippi/Florida) - Drowning

J.G., 22, of Biloxi, Mississippi, was floating with her husband
in the Santa Rosa area of the park on August 31st when he noticed that she'd
gone under.  He was able to locate her and pull her to shore.  While a
visitor called 911 on a car phone, a park maintenance worker and a
lifeguard, who had responded from the guarded beach a mile and a half away,
began CPR.  J.G. was airlifted to a local hospital, where she died on
September 3rd.  Both J.G. and her husband were active-duty Air Force and
stationed at Keesler AFB in Biloxi.  She was a recreation specialist.  [Gene
Phillips, CR, GUIS, 9/4]

92-481 - Blue Ridge (North Carolina/Virginia) - MVA with Fatality

A.K., Jr., 71, was killed in a single vehicle accident near
Sheep's Gap on September 4th when his car plunged 150 feet over a steep
embankment.  He was found by a ranger at 9:30 that evening.  He was
pronounced dead at the scene of multiple injuries.  [Steve Smith, RAD/SERO,
9/8]

92-482 - Glen Canyon (Utah/Arizona) - Drug Arrests

An investigation into drug trafficking was begun in the park last month
after an off-duty Utah highway patrolman camping with his family in the Lone
Rock Beach area witnessed obvious drug activity in the area.  The involved
vehicles and a vessel were staked out from a motorhome by a team of rangers
and a county deputy from August 13th to the 17th.  The team became friendly
with the suspects and spent several days "partying" with them.  At the
conclusion of the period, the team arrested D.C., 38, D.A.,
20 and J.M., 32, on charges of possession with intent to distribute. 
Their 1980 Dodge motorhome was seized.  Criminal charges and the seizure are
being processed through Utah state courts.  Motorcycle gang activity is
involved, but the exact gang is not known at this time.  [Larry Clark, CR,
GLCA, 9/2]

92-483 - Baltimore Washington Parkway (Virginia) - MVA with Fatality

Late on the evening of September 1st, the operator of a 1976 Chevy with
three male passengers on board lost control of his vehicle and struck
several trees near Riverdale Road.  All four were ejected from the vehicle,
which broke in half and caught fire.  Two were killed; the remaining two
were taken to area hospitals.  Witnesses reported that the car was
travelling at a high rate of speed, and that it was being driven recklessly. 
The first Park Police unit on scene extinguished the fire and called for
assistance.  A doctor and an off-duty fire department EMT stopped and
rendered aid while emergency units and Eagle 1 responded.  [Lt. John
Harasek, USPP, 9/3]

92-484 - Sequoia/Kings Canyon (California) - Drowning

On September 1st, the P. family of San Juan Capistrano, California,
was enjoying an afternoon of water activities at Hamilton Lakes when K.P.,
17, disappeared from view.  He was found and pulled from the
water by his parents within five minutes.  Family members began CPR while
the boy's sister hiked into Bear Paw Meadow for help.  Three rangers were
flown to the site by helicopter to assist.  He was taken to the Valley
Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.  [Kathy Clark, RAD/WRO, 9/2]

92-485 - Muir Woods (California) - Marijuana Eradication

Rangers from Golden Gate, Park Police officers, and a California state park
ranger destroyed 84 marijuana plants in three enclosures along the boundary
between Muir Woods and Mt. Tamalpais State Park on August 25th.  The site
was discovered by a Muir Woods ranger who was on foot patrol along the
park's boundary.  Surveillance of the area was conducted by rangers and Park
Police officers for 11 days until a decision was made to harvest the plants.
The plants, which were up to eight feet tall, were being irrigated from a
copper water pipe which had been tapped into a Muir Woods water line.  Each
enclosure was watered automatically with a computer-operated watering
device.  A second garden was subsequently found in the same area, and the
same team responded.  This garden contained 54 plants in two areas.  The
plants were in plastic pots and were from two to five feet tall.  [Jay
Eickenhorst, GOGA, 8/26]

FIRE ACTIVITY

1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level II

2) FIRE SUMMARY

State  Agency     Area             Fire/Incident        9/8     9/9  Status

 FL    NPS     Everglades NP
               Biscayne NP        Hurr. Andrew - ARMT  N/A      N/A  ---
       FEMA    Dade County        Hurr. Andrew - T2    N/A      N/A  ---

 CA    USFS    Stanislaus NF      Ruby - T2          4,000    3,460  CN 9/9
       CDF     San Bernadino RU * Park                   -      508  CND

 NV    USFS    Toiyabe NF       * Thorn                  -      120  CND
 
Notes:

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

3) FIRE REPORT HIGHLIGHTS - No significant reports.

4) FIRE ACTIVITY - 114 fires for 5,428 acres in past 24 hours.

5) ANALYSIS - Fire dangers in the Northern Rockies, Idaho and Utah have
decreased due to the arrival of a cool air mass.  Demobilization is
continuing from contained project fires and Hurricane Andrew.

6) PROGNOSIS - The potential for increased fire activity exists in
California and the Northwest due to warmer temperatures and very high to
extreme fire indices.  The potential also exists for initial attack fire
problems in Florida due to the shortage of fire equipment which is being
used in Hurricane Andrew relief efforts.  Demobilization is expected to
continue.

[NIFCC Intelligence Section, 9/9]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No field reports today.

STAFF STATUS

Division Chief: No leave or travel scheduled.

Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: No leave or travel scheduled.

Branch of Fire and Aviation: Gale serving as IC on ARM Team, Everglades and
Biscayne, FL (indefinite). 

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