- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Friday, August 6, 1993
- Date: Fri, 6 Aug 1993
RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
Ranger Activities Division Information Network
Day/Date: Friday, August 6, 1993
Broadcast: By 0900 EDT
INCIDENTS
92-476 - Natchez Trace (Mississippi/Tennessee) - Follow-up on Homicide
On the morning of September 3, 1992, rangers found the body of T.A.B.,
30, of Iuka, Mississippi, behind the facility at Pharr Mounds. G.D.
and D.M. were arrested for T.A.B.'s murder shortly thereafter.
On July 27th, D.M., who was earlier found guilty of second degree murder
without premeditation for his participation in the killing, was sentenced to
17 1/2 years in prison and five years probation. On July 28th, a jury found
G.D. guilty of murder. He will be sentenced on September 1st. [Gordon
Wissinger, CR, NATR, 8/5]
93-569 - Point Reyes (California) - Significant Disorderly Conduct Incident
At 3:45 a.m. on August 2nd, rangers learned that the park was to be the site
of a "rave" party, and that hundreds of vehicles were en route to Point
Reyes from the East Bay area. Within 15 minutes, they'd determined that the
actual site was at North Beach in the park's Northern District. Four
rangers were immediately called out and additional assistance was sought and
received from five Marin County deputies and four Park Police officers.
Actions were begun to terminate the party. All access roads were closed,
incoming party-goers were instructed to return home, and the disk jockey -
along with his amplified sound service - was invited to leave the area at
his earliest convenience (20 minutes was mentioned). Following those
actions, the party quickly wound down and people began leaving the area.
Rangers estimated that over 1200 people ranging in age from 14 to 22
attended the event. No incidents occurred and no arrests were made.
[Dispatch, PORE, 8/4]
93-570 - San Antonio Missions (Texas) - Death of Employee
Millard "Jim" Aubey, 61, a seasonal interpreter who'd worked at the park for
the past two years, passed away at 5 a.m. on August 4th. Jim recently
underwent cardiac surgery; he was still in the hospital, but had been
progressing well in his recovery. He leaves his wife, Eunice, and three
children. Before working at San Antonio, Jim worked seasonally in Jean
Lafitte and Saratoga. His funeral will be on Monday in Portland, Maine.
The family is requesting donations to the park in lieu of flowers. They may
be sent to San Antonio Missions NHP, 2202 Roosevelt Ave., San Antonio, TX
78210. [Alan Cox, SAAN, 8/5]
93-571 - Washington Office (D.C.) - Death of Employee
Lloyd Furman, 39, who was the program manager for the Service's maintenance
management program until forced to take a disability retirement last
October, died shortly after 7 p.m. last night. Details on funeral
arrangements are pending. [Beth Fischer, E&SS/WASO, 8/6]
93-572 - Blue Ridge (North Carolina/Tennessee) - Rescue
Just after 6 p.m. on July 31st, rangers received a report that two people
had fallen at the Upper Falls on the Linville River and found a 12-year-old
girl and her 47-year-old father clinging to a small ledge in the chute
between the upper and lower falls. Two local rescue squads responded. The
man and his daughter were rescued without incident, and neither was injured.
According to eyewitness accounts, the girl slipped and fell into the river,
and was underwater for as long as 30 seconds before her father was able to
reach her. They then hugged a rock ledge until rescued. The entire event
was videotaped by other visitors, who've said that they're going to send the
tape in to "Rescue 911." [Larry Freeman, BLRI, 8/5]
93-573 - Blue Ridge (North Carolina/Tennessee) - Drug Arrests
D.A. and M.R., both 23, were arrested for drug possession
near Thunder Ridge overlook on August 3rd. The two men had a set of scales,
baggies and an ounce of marijuana in their possession, and were weighing the
latter for sale when apprehended. M.R. has been released on $10,000
bond, D.A. on $5,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is set for August 13th.
[Larry Freeman, BLRI, 8/5]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level II
2) FIRE SUMMARY
State Agency Area Fire 8/5 8/6 Status
AK State SW Area 304632 - T2 11,550 11,550 NEC
Tanana Zone B248 36,000 36,000 NEC
OR BLM Vale Three Fingers 1,600 2,560 CND
CA State Lassen-Modoc * Big Valley - 300 NEC
NV BLM Winnemucca Kings River 400 100 CND
* Willow Creek - 3,500 NEC
Las Vegas * Jumbled - 1,000 NEC
AZ BLM Arizona Strip Tweedy 800 800 CL
Middlewell 800 800 CL
* Pakoon - 1,000 CN 8/7
Phoenix * Belmonte - 150 CN 8/6
* Nellie - 150 CN 8/6
State - Big Well - T2 1,500 3,000 CN 8/6
NM BLM Roswell * Transwestern - 200 CND
NC State Wilmington Spooky Too 2,500 1,977 CND
FL USFS Ocala Juniper 1,150 1,150 CN 8/10
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 - Fire activity in the parks remains low to moderate.
The Horseshoe Fire at Great Smokies has been declared out. Grand Canyon had
five starts on August 3rd, but all have been controlled. Fire danger is
extreme at Sequoia/Kings Canyon, Joshua Tree and Cumberland Island, and very
high at Grand Canyon, Death Valley and Lake Mead.
4) ANALYSIS - Initial attack continued in the Great Basin and Southwest
yesterday, but demobilization began on project fires in the Southwest as
containment targets were met. There was only minimal fire activity for this
time of year in the rest of the West.
5) PROGNOSIS - Initial attack activity is expected to continue in the South
due to high temperatures and thundershowers. There's potential for initial
and extended attack fires due to forecasted thunderstorms and high
temperatures in southern California, the Southwest, the Great Basin and the
Rockies. Activity in Alaska should moderate, as rain - but few or no
thunderstorms - is forecast.
[NIFCC Intelligence Section, 8/5; NPS Wildland Fire Report, 8/5]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Pictured Rocks (Michigan) - Piping Plovers
Three piping plover nests have been recorded this year in the small resort
town of Grand Marais at the west end of the park. Grand Marais is the
principal plover nesting area in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. This year, all
the nests were outside the park boundary. Three young hatched from each of
two nest sites, with at least two from each surviving until dispersal. The
other nest was abandoned before the hatch, and the four eggs were collected
and artificially incubated. Three of these hatched, and two survived to be
released in lower Michigan. Last year, vandals destroyed a nest on park
land and crows took all the chicks from other nests as soon as they left
their nest exclosures. Crows were trapped out of the harbor before the
nesting season this year, which probably accounts for the birds' improved
success in reproducing. [RMS, PIRO, 8/5]
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).
Branch of Fire and Aviation: Spruill at interagency aviation meeting (8/1-
8/8) and aviation management council work group meeting (8/8-8/13); Botti
(8/1-8/6), Gale (8/3-8/5), Broyles (8/6-8/16), Clark (8/2-8/13) and Swain
(8/2-8/6) on AL.
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