- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Wednesday, July 14, 1993
- Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1993
RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
Ranger Activities Division Information Network
Day/Date: Wednesday, July 14, 1993
Broadcast: By 0830 ET
INCIDENTS
93-472 - Midwest Parks - Flood Impacts
Flooding impact reports from all Midwestern parks will now be grouped under
this general heading:
* Pipestone - Since May 8th, the park's interpretive trail, which is a major
focus of the visitor experience in the park, has been closed either
completely or partially on all but four days because of heavy rains. High
waters in Pipestone Creek have resulted in the loss of over 500 feet of
asphalt trail and have caused major debris build-ups at the falls area of
the creek.
* Effigy Mounds - Although roads to the area are now open, visitation has
decreased dramatically because of area flooding. Although access is now
possible, flooding along the Yellow River to the north of the park may
cause road closures affecting visitors approaching from the north.
[Chuck Darby, Facility Manager, PIPE; Don Wollenhaupt, CR, EFMO; Jon
Townsend, RAD/MWRO; 7/13]
93-473 - Colonial (Virginia) - MVA with Nine Injuries
A total of nine visitors were injured in a two-vehicle accident on the
Colonial Parkway near Jamestown at 3:30 p.m. yesterday afternoon. Five
local EMS units transported all nine to two area hospitals. Only one of the
victims appears to be seriously injured. The accident occurred when one van
pulled out from an overlook into the path of a second van. Airbag
activation in both minivans apparently prevented more serious injuries to
both drivers. Assistant chief ranger Hiram Barber was incident commander at
the scene. [Jim Burnett, CR, COLO, 7/13]
93-474 - President's Park (D.C.) - Multiple Heat Injuries
Just before 11 a.m. yesterday morning, nine members of the Frazer Memorial
Methodist Youth Choir of Montgomery, Alabama, became ill from heat stress
when exposed to high temperatures while performing on the Ellipse. The
choir, which is made up of girls between the ages of 14 and 17, was
participating in a volunteer music program in which groups entertain
visitors while they wait in line for the White House tour. Four of the
girls were unconscious and had to be revived by park rangers; all nine were
taken to Georgetown Hospital by the six city ambulances which responded.
They were held for observation, then released later in the day. At the time
of the incident, the group had been singing for about 40 minutes. Although
the audience bleachers are shaded by the roof, the stage has none. The park
hopes to get the choir members back for the tour of the White House that
they had to miss because of the emergency. [Earl Kittleman, PA, NCRO, 7/13]
93-475 - Lake Mead (Nevada/Arizona) - Drug Lab Seizure; Arrest
On July 3rd, rangers arrested D.M., 20, of Kingman, Arizona, for
possession of drug manufacturing equipment which was found during a probable
cause search of his vehicle at South Telephone Cove. A drug dog helped
rangers to find a complete portable methamphetamine laboratory, including
glassware, cooking reactor, drying system and filtering system. The lab,
which was capable of producing up to one pound of methamphetamine per
cooking, was unique in that it was operated from a battery park. Recipes
and manufacturing instructions for LSD and DMT were also found. The lab is
compact and can be operated booth indoors or outdoors. [Mike Blandford,
LAME, 7/13]
93-476 - Bighorn Canyon (Wyoming/Montana) - Drowning
On the afternoon of July 11th, S.S., 18, of Powell, Wyoming, was
swimming with a group of friends in North Trail Creek where it enters
Bighorn Lake near Barry's Landing. S.S.'s friends saw him go under the
water and made a number of unsuccessful attempts to locate and rescue him.
Rangers were notified; they responded with boats and a SCUBA team and
searched until dark with no success. Visibility for the divers is extremely
poor (less than one foot) due to heavy silt and algal bloom in the lake;
search problems are compounded by submerged trees and a steep and uneven
bottom terrain. A three-dimensional depth finder is being utilized, and an
air scent dog was being brought in yesterday afternoon. Initial
investigation indicates that alcohol was not a factor, and that S.S. did
not want to go into the water because it was too cold. S.S.'s friends
kept coaxing him, though, until he finally decided to go in with them. He
disappeared within a matter of minutes after entering the water. Robert
Byrne is the incident commander. Media interest is expanding regionally.
[Dean Garrett, CR, BICA, 7/13]
[More pending incident reports tomorrow...]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level II
2) FIRE SUMMARY
State Agency Area Fire 7/13 7/14 Status
OR BLM Prineville * Trout Creek Rim - 580 CND
CO USFS Pike and
San Isabel South Lake - T2 310 310 CND
NC State - * Pinder Complex - 5,000 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 - Initial attack activity increased in the Rockies and South
yesterday. Reports from the South indicate abnormally high fire occurrences
for this time of year. Most fires in the West are in fine fuels, and large
fires are of short duration. Initial attack activity has decreased
throughout the rest of the country.
5) PROGNOSIS - A red flag watch has been issued for winds of up to 30 mph
for the eastern slopes of the Sierras and for western Nevada. Afternoon and
evening thunderstorms are forecast for Colorado, the central Rockies, and
east-central Arizona. Southern California and western Arizona will remain
hot and dry. Temperatures in the 90s with afternoon thundershowers are
forecast for North Carolina. Initial attack will likely increase in the
Rockies and the South.
[NIFCC Intelligence Section, 0530, 7/14]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
No field reports today.
STAFF STATUS
Division Chief: No leave or travel scheduled.
Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Henry at SFAR oversight group
meeting (7/14-15); Dickerhoof on AL (7/12) and at visitor management and
resource protection assessment program meeting (7/14-16); Smith on AL (7/1214).
Branch of Fire and Aviation: Gale on extended attack analysis of project
fire migration at GUMO, ELMA and LAMR (7/12-16); Botti at national park and
wilderness fire management meeting (7/12-16); Farrel at wildland/urban
interface initiative meeting (7/12-16).
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