RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

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

Day/Date:  Friday, October 29, 1993

Broadcast: By 0900 EDT

INCIDENTS

93-782 - Yosemite (California) - Commercial Hunting Indictments

An investigation into allegations of commercial hunters guiding hunts along
the boundaries of and within the park was begun in 1991 and continued (along
with surveillance operations) through the hunting seasons of 1991, 1992 and
1993.  Thirteen suspects were identified and over 80 violations of federal
and state wildlife laws were documented, including guiding without a
license, conspiracy to guide without a license, sale of bear gall bladders
and hides, closed season kills, and numerous violations of state fish and
game codes.  At sunrise on October 18th, NPS investigators and rangers, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service agents, and California Fish and Game Department
wardens contacted these suspects at their residences.  During subsequent
searches and interviews, a bear hide and three deer heads were seized and a
household marijuana cultivation operation was discovered.  Indictments are
currently pending on seven of the suspects through the Tuolumne County
district attorney's office.  Investigation into the remaining six suspects
will continue.  The man who was cultivating the marijuana was arrested along
with his wife and son; 26 firearms were seized from their residence.  All of
the suspects are known to operate throughout central and northern
California.  Names are being withheld pending indictments.  Criminal
investigators Jeff Sullivan and J.R. Tomasovic initiated the investigation. 
[Steve Martin, RAD/WRO, 10/28]

93-783 - Blue Ridge (North Carolina/Virginia) - Arrest; Rescue

While checking a jeep which had been parked near the steep cliffs at
milepost 425 for an extended period of time, rangers contacted P.R. and
A.R. of Aiken, South Carolina.  Both appeared to be under the
influence of alcohol and/or some controlled substance.  During the
encounter, Pruitt P.R. became argumentative and uncooperative and refused
to leash his growling German shepherd, which he claimed would bite on
command.  After convincing P.R. to put the dog in the jeep, the rangers
conducted a patdown on P.R. and found a handgun in his pants underneath
his jacket and marijuana in his pocket.  P.R. again became uncooperative;
at one point, he took a defensive stance, saying that he was ex-military and
knew judo.  He was eventually handcuffed and seatbelted in the rear of a
patrol vehicle.  While the rangers began the process of arresting A.R.,
P.R. freed himself from the seatbelt and began kicking,
yelling and screaming.  Although sprayed with oleoresin capsicum (OC),
P.R. was able to kick out the rear door window and exit face first
through the window.  He was sprayed again with OC, but was able to leap over
the steep, rocky embankment.  Ranger finally located him about 100 feet down
from the top.  He was strapped to a litter, winched to the top, taken to a
local medical facility for treatment of his minor injuries, then taken to
jail.  Seven charges were filed against P.R. and three more
against A.R.  [CRO, BLRI, 10/28]

FIRE ACTIVITY

1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level II

2) FIRE SUMMARY

State  Agency     Area            Fire               10/28   10/29  Status

 OR    OR      -                 Joe Hall Creek       450     475   CND     
               Neskowin          Hooskenagen          100     600   CN 10/29

 CA    NPS     Ventura County &
               Santa Monica Mts. Green Meadow      18,000  39,000   NEC     
       County  Ventura           Steckle            4,500  20,000   CN 10/29
                                 Rocky                250   1,300   CL 
               Orange            Stagecoach           300     750   CL 
                                 Laguna Canyon      8,000  10,000   CND
       State   San Diego         Guejito            6,760  14,800   CN 10/30
               San Bernadino     Mill Creek         4,680   4,680   CN 11/3 
               Riverside         California        18,000  21,350   NEC
                                 Box Springs        1,800   2,500   NEC     
                                 Vail                 125     500   CL 
                                 Tribal             2,500   2,500   CND     
 CA    USFS    Angeles           Kinneloa - T1      5,100   5,500   NEC
               Cleveland         Ortega - T1       10,000  12,300   NEC
               Los Padres        Wheel - T2         1,400   1,650   CN 11/3

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 - Containment strategy    NEC - No estimate of containment
  CND - Contained              CN (date) - Expected date of containment

3) FIRE NARRATIVES -

The Green Meadow fire has burned about 2,500 acres of land within Santa
Monica Mountains in the following units - Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa, Deer
Creek Canyon, Circle X Ranch, Malibu Springs and Nicholas Flat.  Four minor
structures at Circle X Ranch were consumed; the total estimated value has
been placed at $250,000.  The park's current priority is to protect several
structures at Arroyo Sequit, including the ranger quarters, classroom and
pump house.  All sites and many roads in the park have been closed because
of the fires.

Rick Gale of the Branch of Fire and Aviation Management will be escorting
Secretary Babbitt on a tour of areas hit by southern California fires this
weekend.

4) ANALYSIS - Although there weren't many new fires in southern California
yesterday, existing fires continued to be very persistent.  More than 500
homes have been destroyed to date.  National resource mobilized to the fire
include 25 engines, 80 crews, five Type I helicopters, and one Type II
helicopter.

5) PROGNOSIS - There will be a dry, northerly air flow over the West Coast
as a result of strong high pressure building aloft.  Strong high pressure in
northern and central California will produce high winds and low relative
humidities.  A red flag watch has been forecast for the northern Sacramento
Valley and Sierra foothills for strong north to northeast winds and low
relative humidity.  The sunny, warmer, drier and windier conditions forecast
for northern California should cause an increase in fire activity there. 
Fire activity in southern California will also intensify because of warm and
very dry conditions and 10 to 20 mph winds.

[Public Affairs, SAMO, 10/28; NIFCC Intelligence Section, 10/29]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No field reports today.

STAFF STATUS

Division Chief: No leave or travel scheduled.

Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Marriott and Berkowitz on travel
(10/28/10/29).

Branch of Fire and Aviation: Gale escorting Secretary Babbitt on tour of
areas hit by southern California fires (10/29-10/31); Clark instruction
ignition management course (10/25-10/29); Botti speaking at conference on
fire and forest meteorology (10/27-10/29); Broyles at burn boss steering
committee meeting (10/25-10/29).

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