RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

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

Day/Date:  Tuesday, August 10, 1993

Broadcast: By 0900 EDT

INCIDENTS

93-472 - Midwest Parks - Follow-up on Flood Impacts

* Jefferson National Expansion (Missouri) - Floodwaters have dropped to 43.5
feet, down six feet from last Saturday's crest, and are receding between six
and twelve inches per day.  The eastern side of the park is still covered by
about 13 feet of water.  From one to three inches of fine silt has been
found covering the steps and grounds in areas where the water has receded. 
Cleanup was to begin yesterday with the hosing down of steps.  The local
health department has modified its first notification on hepatitis A and
tetanus shots; they now advise that the former is needed only in
circumstances in which a person is submerged and ingests floodwater, and
that the latter is required for those who come into contact with flood water
who have an open wound or haven't had a tetanus vaccination in the last five
years.  Only one additional ranger remains on flood duty at the Arch.  The
last three members of the regional SET team departed yesterday.  [Deryl
Stone, CR, JEFF, 8/9]

93-566 - Jefferson National Expansion (Missouri) - Follow-up on Homicide

A task force comprised of an NPS criminal investigator and nine St. Louis
police department detectives and officers has been established to find the
man who murdered A.K., 56, in the parking garage on August 5th.  A
list of nine possible suspects has been drawn up and leads on several of
them are being pursued.  The weapon discovered by the city officer has been
positively determined to be the murder weapon; other physical evidence has
also been found which may be associated with the murder.  [Deryl Stone, CR,
JEFF, 8/9]

93-581 - Big Thicket (Texas) - Serious Employee Illness

M.L., the chief ranger at Big Thicket, was found unconscious
yesterday from unknown causes.  He has been taken to a hospital and is in
critical condition.  No details are yet available.  [Tony Bonanno, RCR,
RAD/SWRO, 8/9]

93-582 - Glacier (Montana) - Rescue

Rangers began an aerial search of Mount Jackson late on the morning of
Sunday, August 8th, after a two-man party of day-climbers failed to return
home.  The two men, who had little climbing experience, were poorly
equipped, had not registered their climb, and were not using a climber's
guide, had gotten off route during their ascent of the mountain and had
turned back at the 7,800-foot level (about 2,000 feet below the summit). 
The spent seven hours descending to the 6,900-foot level, where they
bivouacked in a high-angle section of cliffs between two snowfields on the
mountain's northwest face.  The men were not prepared to bivouac and had
only a minimal amount of the requisite gear with them.  Before the rangers
arrived on scene, the two climbers were helped off the mountain by two
former Denali climbing rangers and their backcountry party, who were camping
at Gunsight Lake.  The party had seen the climber's flashlight signals for
help and had notified a park trail crew which was in the area.  They then
hiked and climbed to the men, belayed them through the cliffs, and helped
them back to Gunsight Lake, where they signaled to rangers who were
searching the area by helicopter.  The rangers landed and were advised that
the climbers were safely off the mountain and were uninjured.  [Amy
Vanderbilt, PAO, GLAC, 8/9]

93-583 - Sequoia/Kings Canyon (California) - Fallen Sequoia

Just after 7:30 a.m. on the morning of August 7th, a giant sequoia twelve
feet in diameter fell in front of the old lodge registration desk in Giant
Forest.  The tree's fall was witnessed by many visitors present in the area;
fortunately, none of them were injured.  The sequoia took down several large
trees, damaged several others, and caused minor damage to a vehicle, the
lodge entrance sign and the pavement at the entrance to the parking lot. 
Although the tree fell parallel to the Generals Highway, debris was
scattered across the road, closing it to traffic in both directions. 
Traffic was detoured around the area via Puzzle Tree Road.  Rangers,
maintenance employees and the park tree crew responded.  A hazard evaluation
was completed and three severely damaged trees still standing in the area
were removed.  The area was cleared and the highway reopened by 11:30 a.m. 
The park's tree crew foreman estimated that the sequoia was between 1,100
and 1,200 years old.  [Kraig Snure, Acting DR, SEKI, 8/9]

93-584 - Olympic (Washington) - Multiple Larcenies

On the evening of July 28th, eight campsites in the Kalaloch campground were
hit by a thief or thieves.  Coolers which had been left out in plain view
were taken from every site, and two mountain bikes valued at $1,350 were
stolen.  There are no suspects at this time.  [Kym Ulin, OLYM, 8/9]

93-585 - Badlands (South Dakota) - Balloon Crash

On May 26th, visitors found the wreckage of a large, unmanned balloon that
had crashed in the Sage Creek area of the park.  An investigation was begun
by Federal Aviation Administration, Air Force and park personnel.  They
finally determined that the high-altitude balloon had been launched from
nearby Ellsworth Air Force Base in 1967 and had crashed shortly after it
became airborne.  The wreckage was removed by Air Force and park personnel
on August 6th.  [John Donaldson, BADL, 8/9]

FIRE ACTIVITY

1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level II

2) FIRE SUMMARY

State  Agency     Area            Fire               8/9      8/10   Status

 AK    State   Tanana Zone       B248             36,000    36,250   NEC 
       NPS     Yukon-Charley     Webber Creek     19,245    20,205   NEC
                                 B557            158,300   169,558   CS
                                 Rock Creek          220       255   CS

 OR    USFS    Deschutes         Sage Brush          120       400   CND   
       State   --              * Tin Pan Peak          -       100   NEC

 CA    State   San Diego       * Otay #1               -     1,000   CL

 NV    BLM     Las Vegas       * Pass                  -     3,000   CND

 AZ    BLM     Phoenix           Junction 
                                  Complex - T2         -     4,950   CND
 FL    USFS    Ocala             Juniper           1,150     1,155   CN 8/10
       State   --              * Tates Hell            -       750   NEC
       State   --              * Intracoastal          -       924   CND

 LA    USFWS   Sabine          * Mitchell              -       600   CN 8/9

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 - Moderate initial attack activity occurred in the South
yesterday, with several new fires reported from Florida.  Initial attack
remained moderate in the West.

5) PROGNOSIS - Scattered showers and mostly wet thunderstorms will prevail
over the Great Basin, Southwest, Rockies and South.  This weather pattern
should minimize new starts and aid in the containment of large fires. 
California will be mostly sunny in the interior with a slight chance of
thunderstorms in the southern mountains and deserts.

[NIFCC Intelligence Section, 8/10; NPS Wildland Fire Report, 8/10; John 
Quinley, PAO/ARO, 8/9]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No field reports today.

UPCOMING IN CONGRESS

Congress has recessed for the balance of the month.

STAFF STATUS

Division Chief: No leave or travel scheduled.

Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Martin at Aufhauser shooting
review and on AL (8/10-8/22); Dickerhoof on AL (8/12-8/22); Smith on AL
(8/9-8/11).

Branch of Fire and Aviation: Spruill at aviation management council work
group meeting (8/8-8/13); Botti at operations evaluation at Grand Canyon
(8/9-8/20); Gale on hurricane plan review at Everglades (8/9-8/13); Broyles
(8/6-8/16) and Clark (8/2-8/13) on annual leave.

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