RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

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

Day/Date:  Thursday, October 8, 1992

Release:   0830 EDT

INCIDENTS

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

Work is continuing on all previously reported projects.  Bill Blake takes
over command of the ARM team from Rick Gale this morning.  

More than $160,000 has been donated to the Hurricane Andrew relief fund
which is being administered by ENP&MA.  Donations have come from employees
in virtually every NPS unit, many conservation groups, cooperating
associations and private individuals.  The fund is being managed by the
superintendents of the three parks.  They are providing $200 to every
employee affected by the hurricane, and will disburse the balance to those
needing aid based on applications for assistance.  Criteria will include
medical needs, child care, care of elderly dependents, transportation needs,
housing needs and lack of or insufficient insurance.  Your assistance is
greatly appreciated.  Monetary contributions to the relief effort 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 donation is for the relief fund.  You can also make a
contribution by purchasing a Hurricane Andrew t-shirt which has been
produced by Florida National Parks and Monument Association and is being
distributed through ENP&MA.  All proceeds from the sale of the shirts will
go to the relief fund.  Shirts are $10 each and can be ordered from ENP&MA,
1100 East Hector Street, Conshohocken, PA 19428.  Checks should be made out
to ENP&MA Andrew Relief Fund.  Credit card orders can be called in to 215-832-0363.
[Bill Adams, ARM team, 10/7]

92-549 - C&O Canal (DC/Maryland) - Assist on Aircraft Accident

Late Tuesday morning, the park received a call for assistance in searching
for missing crew members following the crash of a West Virginia Air National
Guard C-130 transport plane just across the Potomac River from Hancock,
Maryland, and the park.  Early reports were that three of the six crewmen
had been killed and that the remaining three were missing.  Although the
bodies of all six crew members were subsequently located, three park
employees remained on scene to assist in the emergency response; another ten
employees - five from C&O, four from Harpers Ferry and one from Antietam -
are on standby to assist if needed.  [Gordon Gay, Acting CR, CHOH, 10/7]

92-550 - Mammoth Cave (Kentucky) - Recovery of Stolen Property

Following the receipt of information on the possible location of items
stolen from the park in a 1989 burglary, rangers and Kentucky state police
officers conducted a search of a private residence near the park in
Northtown, Kentucky, on October 6th.  Rangers recovered 18 items of
government property taken during that burglary, and state police officers
found items linked to five separate burglaries which had occurred in
communities surrounding the park.  The U.S. attorney's office is reviewing
the case for prosecution.  [Bill Springer, RAD/SERO, 10/7]

92-551 - Natchez Trace (Mississippi/Alabama/Tennessee) - Fatal MVA

I.G., 85, of Carthage, Mississippi, was killed in a motor vehicle
accident on the parkway on the afternoon of October 6th.  I.G., her
husband, and her sister, D.M., were heading east when I.G. ran
a stop sign at an intersection with the parkway and struck a northbound
vehicle.  Although the vehicles were traveling at relatively slow speeds at
the time of the collision, witnesses stated that I.G. apparently panicked
and hit the accelerator instead of the brake pedal.  The vehicle went off
the road shoulder, spun around twice, traveled another 500 feet up the
shoulder, and hit a large tree head on.  Merchant has lost a leg and is in
serious condition; I.G.'s husband and the driver of the other vehicle had
only minor injuries.  None of the three people in the I.G. vehicle were
wearing seatbelts.  I.G.'s husband said that they had not driven their
vehicle in two years.  [Leonard Weems, Acting CR, NATR, 10/7]

92-552 - Lake Mead (Nevada) - Sexual Assault Arrest

On September 29th, A.E. of Las Vegas, Nevada, the prime
suspect in a sexual assault which had occurred in the park, turned himself
in at the law offices of a local attorney.  On August 19th, a 19-year-old
woman reported that she'd been sexually assaulted in the Gypsum Wash area. 
A.E. was identified as the suspect, and a warrant was issued for his
arrest.  The park and Las Vegas police had attempted to find Echeverria, but
without luck.  A.E. has been charged with four counts of sexual
assault.  [Susan Warner, LAME, 10/7]

92-553 - Black Canyon of the Gunnison (Colorado) - Rescue

On October 3rd, an inner-canyon hiker reported that another backpacker had
suffered severe foot and ankle injuries during a descent down SOB Draw.  a
ranger hiked in the following morning and contacted the 39-year-old hiker,
who had discoloration and swelling of the injured foot and ankle.  Due to
the extremely steep terrain and the 2,000-foot ascent needed to make it out
of the draw, a helicopter was employed to evacuate the victim to the canyon
rim.  He was then transported by friends to a hospital for evaluation and
treatment.  [Dave Roberts, CR, BLCA, 10/8]

FIRE ACTIVITY

1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level I

No large fire activity nationally.  Most geographic areas have low to
moderate fire danger.  Little or no commitment of national resources.

2) FIRE SUMMARY

State  Agency     Area           Fire/Incident        10/7     10/8  Status

 FL    NPS     South Florida    Hurricane Andrew - T2 ARMT      N/A      N/A  --

 CA    CDF     Riverside RU   * Banning                  -      350  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 - 79 fires for 308 acres in the past 24 hours.

4) ANALYSIS - Many areas in California and the Rockies are reporting very
high to extreme indices.

5) PROGNOSIS - Increased fire activity in California and southern Oregon is
possible if predicted weather occurs.  The risk of human-caused fires
continues because of hunting season.

[NIFCC Intelligence Section, 10/7]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No field reports today.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

1) CompuServe - The Information and Telecommunications Division has asked
that NPS personnel no longer access CompuServe via WASO-provided user ID's. 
Although it's still possible to log on, the contract has in fact expired and
access is no longer authorized - or funded.  

STAFF STATUS

Division Chief: Brady on annual leave (10/8-10/9).

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

Branch of Fire and Aviation: Gale serving as IC, ARM Team, Everglades and
Biscayne, FL (though 10/8); Broyles at NWCG health and safety meeting,
Sacramento, CA (10/5-10/8); Mattingly moving IHC equipment to Rocky Mountain
NP from Rapid City, SD (10/4-10/17); Botti, Berg and Farrel at FIREPRO and
structural fire review, Mesa Verde, Cortez, CO (10/5-10/8).

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