RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

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

Day/Date:  Friday, June 11, 1993

Broadcast:  By 0830 ET

INCIDENTS

93-334 - Yosemite (California) - Follow-up on Search

An extensive debriefing of W.S., who was the subject of a five-
day search by upwards of 200 people last week, has revealed that a major
factor in his becoming lost was probably his extensive use of marijuana. 
Final costs for the search have not been totalled, but will likely exceed
$100,000.  [CRO, YOSE, 6/10]

93-346 - Shenandoah (Virginia) - MVA with Fatality and Multiple Injuries

Just before 5 p.m. on June 9th, a Pontiac Grand Am driven by 18-year-old
R.W. of Annapolis, Maryland, failed to negotiate a curve while
heading southbound on Skyline Drive, crossed the center line, and struck a
Ford van in an angulated head-on fashion.  The van was occupied by one adult
and twelve children between ages 12 and 14 from Far Horizons, a privately
run adventure program based in Orange, Texas.  R.W. and his two juvenile
passengers were severely trapped and suffered critical trauma; the driver of
the van and eleven of the children suffered varying degrees of injury,
ranging from a fractured jaw to lacerations, muscle strains and bruises. 
The three occupants of the Grand Am were extricated and transported to the
University of Virginia Medical Center's Level I Trauma Center in
Charlottesville.  Two were taken by the center's helicopter; the third was
scheduled to be flown, but had to be taken by ambulance when a severe
thunderstorm grounded the helicopter.  R.W. subsequently died at the
hospital.  All of the injured from the van were taken by ambulances to
Waynesboro Community Hospital in Waynesboro.  The group had been headed to
the Washington, D.C., area, and planned to camp overnight at Loft Mountain. 
The accident is still under investigation by South District rangers.  They
are looking into the possibility that excessive speed, drugs and alcohol may
have been contributing factors.  Twelve ambulances, three engines, two light
rescue units, and one heavy rescue unit responded from the park and six
surrounding communities.  Two rangers from Blue Ridge Parkway also responded
to the accident.  It's believed that this incident involved the largest
number of injured patients from a single incident since a commercial air
crash in the park in the 1950s.  A critical incident stress debriefing has
been scheduled.  Ranger Clayton Jordan was incident commander.  [Larry
Hakel, CR, SHEN, 6/10]

93-347 - Badlands (South Dakota) - Paleontological Resource Violations

On Monday, June 7th, a paleontological crimes task force consisting of
paleontologists, officers, agents and rangers from the FBI, Customs, IRS,
Forest Service, BLM and National Park Service served a second search warrant
on the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research in Hill City, South
Dakota.  Numerous fossils and records were seized in support of continuing
investigations of land management agency resource violations.  As with the
first warrant, which was served in May, 1992, the search teams were met with
community hostility, including picketing school children, and intensive
media coverage.  Badlands rangers, Fossil Butte staff and NPS special agents
participated in the day-long search.  [John Donaldson, CR, BADL, 6/9]

93-348 - Glen Canyon (Arizona/Utah) - Serious Employee Injury

Elwood Mees, 46, the park's roads and trails foreman, sustained severe
facial lacerations and multiple facial fractures while moving government
boat docks at Wahweap Marina early on the morning of June 3rd.  Meeks was
working on an anchor winch at the end of the boat dock when the winch began
free wheeling.  When he attempted to apply the hand brake, the spinning
winch handle hit his arm and caused him to fall or be pulled into the
handle's path.  Park medics transported him to Page Hospital, where he was
stabilized; he was then flown by helicopter to Good Samaritan Hospital in
Phoenix.  He underwent successful reconstructive surgery on June 9th.  His
left eye was severely damaged, but it's now believed that he will regain
partial vision in that eye.  He is still in the hospital, but will probably
return to Page within a few days.  Elwood's wife Cheryl, who is a secretary
at park headquarters, has been with him in Phoenix.  She thanks everyone who
has sent cards, messages and flowers.  They've helped keep his spirits up. 
If you'd like to send a card or letter to him, you may do so at the
following address: Cheryl and Elwood Meeks, c/o Ed Jennerjohn, 48 S. Willow
Creek St., Chandler, AZ 85225.  [GLCA, 6/10]

93-349 - Indiana Dunes (Indiana) - Flooding

During a 36-hour period on June 7th and 8th, the park received just under
six inches of rain.  While the park did not suffer any major damage, several
community roads within its boundaries were damaged when culverts and road
shoulders washed away.  The most extensive erosion occurred on Beverly
Drive, where about 200 feet of roadway collapsed into Brown Ditch.  Since
the road is a major access route for both the community and park visitors,
the town has requested assistance from the park for repairs, which will
likely cost about $600,000.  The Little Calumet River, which runs through
the park, also flooded; numerous logs have floated downstream on it into
marinas along the river and a number of boats and docks have been damaged. 
No visitor injuries have been reported.  [Dick Littlefield, INDU, 6/10]

93-350 - Glen Canyon (Arizona/Utah) - Plane Crash

During the early morning hours of May 22nd, a twin-engine 1969 Beechcraft
Duke 60 piloted by G.O. of Salt Lake City, Utah, crashed while landing
at Bullfrog airstrip.  The plane's tricycle landing gear failed and the
craft slid approximately 900 feet before coming to a stop just off the edge
of the runway.  Damage to the aircraft is estimated at $150,000.  Neither
the pilot nor his three passengers was injured.  The FAA and NTSB have
requested an NPS investigation into the incident.  The airstrip was closed
for eight hours.  Initial investigation indicates that a stress crack in the
nose gear steering may have allowed the gear to turn 90 degrees, and that
the nose gear collapsed because the tire rolled off the wheel.  [Larry
Clark, CR, GLCA, 6/10]

93-351 - John Muir (California) - Significant EMS Incident

On June 5th, the park held an opening ceremony for the newly-acquired Mount
Wanda area, which contains land once owned by John Muir.  The ceremony also
featured the dedication of the Muir Nature Trail.  Shortly after the
ceremony, G.S., park lessee and the former owner of the Mount Wanda
track, suffered a massive heart attack at the top of the mountain.  Ranger
Tad Shay called for 911 assistance and began CPR with a park visitor.  The
fire department vehicle that responded became stuck in mud on the fire road
a half mile from the scene.  A Cal-Star helicopter medical team was then
summoned.  CPR was continued until the medics' arrival for a total of 27 
minutes.  Although G.S. was revived three times, he did not survive. 
[Carl Christensen, RAD/WRO, 6/10]  

FIRE ACTIVITY

1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level II

2) FIRE SUMMARY

State  Agency     Area            Fire              6/10     6/11    Status

 AK    State   Tanana Zone       332248            5,748    6,548    NEC

                                 332266              870      870    NEC
       FWS     Yukon-Delta       Discovery - T2   23,437   23,501    CN 6/10
       BLM     Steese-White 
                Mountains        B262              1,030    1,030    CND

 NM    USFS    Gila              Black Range 
                                  Complex - T1    11,871   16,949    NEC
                                 Brush            26,000   26,000    CN 6/21
       BLM     Las Cruces      * Gillespie             -    1,980    CND

 AZ    State   -               * Desert                -    1,000    NEC

 FL    FWS     Okefenokee        Gnat Catcher - T1 1,500    3,000    NEC

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
  CND - Contained              CN (date) - Expected date of containment

3) PARK FIRE REPORTS - No significant reports today.

4) ANALYSIS - Fire activity in Alaska and the Southwest has moderated and
demobilization is in progress.  Initial attack is increasing in the South.

5) PROGNOSIS - Widely scattered afternoon thunderstorms are forecast for
Georgia and Florida.  Alaska may experience an increase in initial attack
activity due to warmer temperatures and scattered afternoon thundershowers. 
A slight chance of afternoon thunderstorms in southwest New Mexico could
lead to some initial attack activity.

[NIFCC Intelligence Section, 0530, 6/11]

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 at NWCG meeting to review ICS task books
(6/8-6/11); Farrel at wildland/urban interface initiative fire landscaping
meeting (6/8-6/11).

Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities

Telephone: Branch of R&VP - 202-208-4874
           Branch of F&A (WASO) - 202-208-5572
Telefax:   Branch of R&VP - 202-208-6756
           Branch of F&A (WASO) - 202-208-5977
cc:Mail:   Branch of R&VP - WASO Ranger Activities
           Branch of F&A (WASO) - WASO Fire and Aviation
SkyPager:  Emergencies ONLY (numeric message) - 1-800-759-7243, PIN 2404843 
SkyTalk:   Emergencies ONLY (voice message) - 1-800-759-8255, PIN 2404843