RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

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

Day/Date:  Friday, September 25, 1992

Release:   0830 EDT

INCIDENTS

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

Repair and rehabilitation efforts continue in the three parks.  The
following notes were sent yesterday by the ARM Team:

* Briefings will be held today for the three park superintendents and
  representatives from the regional office on the findings of the resource
  and facilities assessment teams.
* Modular buildings should arrive this weekend for the administrative
  office at Biscayne.  The park still has no phone service.
* A significant amount of repair and rehab work still needs to be completed
  on Biscayne structures and facilities.
* Yard clean-up and hazard tree removal continue at Pine Island.  Over 90
  yards of chipping material was removed from the quarters area yesterday
  alone.
* A carpentry crew is working on housing and the chicken farm at Big
  Cypress.
* Hot shot crews are working east to west clearing Shark Valley of
  hazardous materials to the Tamiami loop road.

Contributions to the relief effort are still being accepted.  Checks may be
sent to Andrew Relief Fund, ENP&MA, Attention: George Minnucci, 446 North
Lane, Conshohocken, PA 19428; they should be made out to ENP&MA with a
notation that the contribution is for the relief fund.  [Bill Adams, Rick
Gale, ARM Team, 9/24-25]

92-521 - East Coast Areas - Follow-up on Tropical Storm Danielle

As of 6 a.m. this morning, Danielle was about 80 miles southeast of Virginia
Beach and moving northwest with sustained winds of about 50 mph.  It was
causing some damage to structures and the coastline along the Outer Banks,
and was expected to next strike the Delmarva Peninsula between Chesapeake
Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.  Four to six inch rains, tides up to four feet
above normal and coastal erosion are predicted.

The park most likely to be significantly affected is Assateague Island. 
This will be the fourth significant coastal storm to hit the park in the
last 12 months.  All backcountry sites were closed yesterday morning, as was
the park's ORV zone, which effectively terminated the deer archery hunting
season now underway.  It's expected that the dune stabilization done in the
Maryland portion of the park subsequent to last January's storm will be
sufficient to protect that district, but there are concerns that dunes in
the Tom's Cove district in Virginia may not hold and that damage may occur
to roads, parking lots and the visitor center at that location.  [As of this
morning, the park is reporting breaks in the dunes and overwash in several
places in the district.  Closure and evacuation of the park is being
contemplated and is likely].  

Cape Hatteras has so far experienced only a few storm-related problems.  The
ocean came up over the island at Ocracoke, but has subsided.  Damage is
reported to the sandbags at the lighthouse, but not to the structure itself. 
Two private homes outside the park have been washed away and up onto park
beaches.

Cape Lookout this morning reports tides of three to four feet above normal
and some beach erosion.  Minor flooding has occurred in one picnic area. 
The park has expressed some concern regarding turtle nesting areas, but has
not yet been able to assess damage to them.

[Brion Fitzgerald and Bob Thomas, ASIS; Steve Smith and Bill Sturgeon,
RAD/SERO; 9/24-25]

92-523 - Yosemite (California) - Falling Fatality

R.M., 42, of Greeley, Colorado, fell approximately 2,600 feet to his
death while attempting to rappel on El Capitan on September 23rd.  The exact
cause of the accident is unknown at this time.  Other members of R.M.'s
group descended the face successfully.  A carryout team removed his body. 
[Leslie Crossland, YOSE, 9/24]

92-524 - Yosemite (California) - Car Clouting

On September 20th, 12 auto burglaries occurred in Tuolumne campground.  The
victims mostly lost cash and credit cards; other valuables were left in the
vehicles.  The campers were all tent camping.  No physical evidence has been
found at the scene.  A day later, Wawona campground had seven auto
burglaries.  Again, only cash was taken from the vehicles, and the victims
were tent camping.  The thefts in both cases fit the MO of a known area car
clouting group.  [J.R. Tomasovic, YOSE, 9/24]

92-525 - Lassen Volcanic (California) - Car Clouting

Ten auto burglaries were reported in the Manzanita Lake campground on the
night of September 23rd.  Cash, cassette tapes, a wedding ring, Swiss army
knives and a day pack were taken.  All thefts were from vehicles at tent
campsites; in most cases, entry was not well concealed.  Reports of a
possible suspect vehicle seen in the campground late that night are being
checked.  The MO of the thieves is similar to - but possibly different
from - the same group the struck Yosemite.  Information on the Lassen
incidents has been circulated to other NPS and state areas that might be
targeted.  [Guy Whitmer, LAVO, 9/24]

92-526 - Yosemite (California) - Drug Arrests

A three-month-long drug buy program in Yosemite Valley recently culminated
with charges being filed against a dozen people on 26 counts of drug
trafficking.  Four cases have been submitted to the U.S. attorney for felony
indictments.  Most of the suspects have previous drug trafficking
convictions.  During the buy program, rangers purchased LSD,
methamphetamines, cocaine, crack and marijuana.  [J.R. Tomasovic, YOSE,
9/24]

FIRE ACTIVITY

1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level II

2) FIRE SUMMARY

State  Agency     Area           Fire/Incident        9/24     9/25  Status

 FL    NPS    South Florida    Hurr. Andrew - ARMT    N/A      N/A  ---

 HI   FEMA    Honolulu         Hurr. Iniki - T1       N/A      N/A  ---

 OR    USFS    Fremont NF       Onion - T1           1,050    1,131  CND
       State   -                Walker Creek         1,280    1,280  CND    

 CA    CDF     Butte RU         Maidu                  600      600  CND    

 WY    USFS    Bridger
               Teton NF        Cliff - T2             350      435  CND
       BLM     Rawlins          Stratton             1,000      700  CND    
       NPS     Yellowstone NP * Plateau                  -      480  CND
       State   -              * Bear Trap                -      100  NEC

 MT    BLM     Miles City     * Blank - T2               -    8,000   NEC

Notes:

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

3) FIRE ACTIVITY - 102 fires for 2,026 acres in the past 24 hours.

4) ANALYSIS - Initial attack continues.

5) PROGNOSIS - The potential exists for continued fire activity due to
extreme fire dangers and the arrival of hunting season.

[NIFCC Intelligence Section, 9/25]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No field reports today.

STAFF STATUS

Division Chief: No leave or travel scheduled.

Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Schamp on AL (9/23-9/28);
Marriott at ARPA meeting in Albuquerque, NM (9/23-9/25).

Branch of Fire and Aviation: Hurd on AL (9/21-9/25); Gale and Broyles, 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