- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Thursday, July 29, 1993
- Date: Thurs, 29 Jul 1993
RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
Ranger Activities Division Information Network
Day/Date: Thursday, July 29, 1993
Broadcast: By 0900 EDT
*** Special Notice ***
Past Director Conrad L. Wirth, 93, died peacefully and quietly in his sleep
just before midnight on Sunday, July 25th. He served as director of the
National Park Service from 1951 to 1964. Burial services will be held today
at the Lakewood Memorial Cemetery chapel in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Director Wirth is survived by his two sons, Ted and Pete, and several
grandchildren and great grandchildren. Helen, his wife of 64 years, died in
1990. The family asks that those wishing to remember him send a memorial
donation (in lieu of flowers) to the Education Trust Fund, c/o Employee and
Alumni Association, PO Box 1490, Falls Church, Virginia 22041. Notes may be
sent to Pete Wirth at P.O. Box 358, West Acres, New Lebanon, New York 12125,
and to Ted Wirth at 2445 Teton Avenue, Billings, Montana 59102.
INCIDENTS
92-70 - Glen Canyon (Arizona/Utah) - Follow-up on ARPA Incident
On February 29, 1992, ranger Jim Bowman discovered that 21 petroglyphs in
Willow Gulch on the Escalante River had been damaged by scraping, apparently
to enhance them so that they would show up better in photographs.
Investigation led to the issuance and execution of a search warrant at a
residence in Escalante, Utah, where pertinent evidence was gathered. This
was presented to the U.S. attorney in July. Bowman and law enforcement
specialist Bob Maguire subsequently testified before a federal grand jury in
Salt Lake City. The grand jury indicted M.B., 63, for destruction
of government property and violations of the Archeological Resource
Protection Act (ARPA). M.B.'s 1990 Ford four-wheel-drive pickup has been
seized under ARPA's forfeiture statutes. No trial date has yet been set.
[Larry Clark, CR, GLCA, 7/28]
93-530 - Devils Tower (Wyoming) - Rescue
B.J., 24, of Laramie, Wyoming, was climbing the Durrance Route on
Devils Tower on July 25th when he was struck in the lower leg by a 15-pound,
bowling-ball size rock which had been dislodged by a climbing party several
hundred feet above him. B.J. received a deep laceration across an
achilles tendon, but was able to rappel on one leg and descend three pitches
to the route's base with the assistance of friends. The park SAR team
responded and conducted a 200-foot litter lowering followed by a belayed
scree evacuation to the Tower trail. B.J. was treated and released at a
hospital in Gillette, Wyoming, and will require further treatment from an
orthopedic surgeon. B.J. was not wearing a helmet during the climb.
[James Schlinkmann, CR, DETO, 7/26]
93-531 - Canyon de Chelly (Arizona) - Rescue
C.H., 21, daughter of W.H., the park's chief of
interpretation, sustained a broken pelvis, collar bone and minor internal
injuries after falling approximately 40 feet near Tsegi overlook on the
evening of July 26th. C.H. and some friends had driven to an unprotected
area of the canyon rim near the overlook along the south side of the canyon.
Just after they got out of their vehicle, it began to roll backwards toward
the rim. C.H. attempted to jump into the vehicle to stop it; she was
carried over the rim, but was ejected from the vehicle when it struck a
ledge about 40 feet down the canyon's side. The vehicle then continued its
descent until crashing into the canyon floor 300 feet below. Approximately
two hours passed before emergency personnel were notified and arrived at the
scene. Chinle EMS personnel and Navajo police officers stabilized her
injuries; the technical rescue was conducted by rangers and volunteers from
the Chinle fire department. C.H. was transported to the hospital in
Chinle, then flown to Albuquerque for further treatment. She is currently
in stable condition at the University of New Mexico Medical Center. [Doug
Roe, CR, CACH, 7/28]
93-532 - St. Croix (Wisconsin/Minnesota) - Car Clouting
During the week of June 13th, ten vehicles were broken into at the County K
river landing in the Namekagon District. Concentrated patrol efforts led to
the apprehension of one F. (R.) H. and two juveniles. F.H., who has
a prior record of breaking and entering and parole violations, will be tried
on a felony charge. The cost to repair damage to vehicles and the value of
merchandise stolen from them has together been estimated at over $4,000.
[SACN, 7/28]
93-533 - Delaware Water Gap (Pennsylvania/New Jersey) - Attempted Suicide
R.F., 39, drove into the parking area of the New Jersey District
ranger station at 7:15 a.m. on the morning of July 25th and told rangers
that he had shot himself in the chest. He had also lacerated his left wrist
and was bleeding profusely from his wounds. He was stabilized and taken to
a hospital, where he was later reported to be in critical but stable
condition. R.F. had parked in an isolated section of the park at 4 p.m.
the previous day, hiked across a stream into the woods, and shot himself in
mid-sternum with a long rifle round from .22 caliber rifle. The bullet
exited his back, missing his vertebrae. R.F. had then cut his wrists.
[Barry Sullivan, DR, DEWA, 7/28]
[More pending incident reports tomorrow...]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level II
2) FIRE SUMMARY
State Agency Area Fire 7/27 7/28 Status
AK State SW Area 304632 - T2 11,550 11,550 CN 7/30
NPS Yukon-Charley Unnamed 55,200 - NR
NM NPS Bandelier * Dome - 180 NEC
FL USFS Ocala * Juniper - 160 CN 8/3
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 reports available today.
4) ANALYSIS - Initial attack and escaped fire activity increased in the
Southwest and South on Tuesday, but there was little fire activity in the
West.
5) PROGNOSIS - The possibility of increased initial attack and escaped fires
was high in the South and Southwest yesterday because of hot and dry
conditions. Initial attack was also expected to increase in the West
because of warmer temperatures and widely scattered thunderstorms.
Forecasters were predicting increased clouds with areas of rain and cooler
temperatures in Alaska, which would help moderate activity there.
[NIFCC Intelligence Section, 7/28]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
No field reports today.
STAFF STATUS
Division Chief: No leave or travel scheduled.
Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Sisto at meetings in Alaska
Region (7/26-8/6); Halainen at management grid training course (7/26-7/30).
Branch of Fire and Aviation: Farrel at Presidio transition meeting (7/26-
7/30); Gale instructing management grid training course (7/26-7/30).
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