RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

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

Day/Date:  Monday, November 1, 1993

Broadcast: By 0900 EDT

INCIDENTS

93-784 - New River Gorge (West Virginia) - Special Event

Bridge Day was held on October 16th at the New River Gorge Bridge in
Fayetteville, West Virginia.  The annual event drew a crowd to the area
estimated at over 125,000.  The event has international fame for its high
adventure activities, including parachuting, bungee jumping and rappelling
off the bridge.  During the period between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., 458
registered BASE jumpers made a total of 502 parachute jumps from the bridge,
approximately 125 rappellers ascended and descended distances from 600 to
800 feet, and a world record bungee jump was made.  A total of 102
parachutists landed in the park and required rescue by NPS personnel.  There
were 13 injuries from BASE jumping accidents, including nine that required
transport to and treatment at a local hospital.  The bungee jump was made by
seven people in a custom-made metal basket which plunged about 850 feet into
the gorge to a point about 25 feet above the river before springing back. 
One injury occurred from the jump when the bungee basket did not release
properly and trapped one of the participants between one of the bridle ropes
and the basket.  This person suffered severe rope burns across the chest and
shoulder and was taken to a local hospital.  The worst injury of the day
occurred when an 18-year-old male fell about 25 feet from a cliff face in
the area of the bridge buttress while free climbing.  He suffered a
fractured thoracic vertebrae and his spinal cord was severed; he's expected
to remain permanently paralyzed from the fracture point down.  The Mid-
Atlantic Region's all-risk management (ARM) team participated in the
management of the event for the first time.  The event went very smoothly,
relatively speaking, with few major injuries to participants and none to the
over 35 NPS employees involved in rescue operations, EMS and law
enforcement.  One contracted boat rescuer was injured when his thumb got
caught in the bight of a parachute cord and was severed while rescuing a
parachutist from the river.  [Rick Brown, Canyon DR, NERI, 10/22]

93-785 - Statue of Liberty (New York) - Demonstration

A group identifying itself as Haitian Enforcement Against Racism held at
demonstration at the statue on Saturday, October 30th.  The demonstration,
which was in support of former Haitian President Aristide, was held in the
rain between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.; about 45 protestors participated.  The
protestors began demonstrating outside of the permitted area around noon,
but moved back after a discussion with the group's attorney.  Park Police
officers were brought in to assist with security, and city officers and
Coast Guard units stood by in case additional assistance was required.  All
visitors were screened by metal detectors and had their bags and packages
searched.  The event was managed under the incident command system.  [Scott
Pfeninger, CR, STLI, 10/31]

93-786 - Natchez Trace (Mississippi/Alabama/Tennessee) - MVA with Fatality

W.F., 36, of Natchez, Mississippi, was traveling north on the
parkway at 8:30 p.m. on October 28th when his vehicle left the west side of
the roadway, overturned, and slid into a tree.  W.F. was pronounced
dead at the scene by the county coroner.  The accident is still under
investigation.  [Gordon Wissinger, CR, NATR, 10/29]

93-787 - George Washington Parkway (Virginia) - Gas Leak

Around 9:40 a.m., an employee reported the smell of gas from an eight-inch
natural gas line at a construction site at the park maintenance yard off the
parkway across from National Airport.  The break in the line, which
reportedly had been abandoned, apparently occurred during excavation for a
new storage shed being constructed by a contractor.  Traffic in both
directions on the parkway was stopped for more than an hour while Washington
Gas Company representatives closed off the leak.  The leaked gas rapidly
dissipated in the wind and the parkway was reopened around 11:30.  [Einar
Olsen, RAD/NCRO, 10/29]

FIRE ACTIVITY

1) FIRE SITUATION - Preparedness Level II

2) FIRE SUMMARY

State  Agency     Area            Fire               10/29   11/1  Status

 CA    NPS     Ventura County &
               Santa Monica Mts. Green Meadow      39,000  42,644   CN 11/1 
       County  Ventura           Steckle           20,000  26,500   CN 10/31
       State   San Diego         Guejito           14,800  20,722   CN 11/1 
               San Bernadino     Mill Creek         4,680   4,680   CND
               Riverside         California        21,350  25,100   CND
                                 Box Springs        2,500   3,500   CL      
 CA    USFS    Angeles           Kinneloa - T1      5,500   5,700   CN 11/1
               Cleveland         Ortega - T1       12,300  20,500   CN 11/1
               Los Padres        Wheel - T2         1,650   1,650   CND    

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 -

As of yesterday, the Green Meadow Fire had burned about 17,200 acres of park
land; it was 75% contained and firefighters anticipated that it would be
almost fully contained by last night.  The fire was active and uncontained
from the northwest corner of the Circle X to the northeast corner of Malibu
Springs down to Yellow Hill.  Much of this area is park land.  No additional
structures have burned, no have there been any major injuries or fatalities. 
All park lands west of Kanan Road remain closed to the public.  Two
adjoining state parks - Leo Carrillo and Point Mugu - will remain closed
through November 8th.  Malibu Creek and Topanga state parks are also closed. 
At the time of the report, 2,000 firefighters and overhead were committed to
the fire, including one NPS strike team.  The Green Meadow incident is being
called the "Fire of Hope" because of its effects on natural resources within
the park.  There have been numerous sightings of wildlife returning to
burned out areas.  A community newsletter is being prepared regarding the
regeneration of the burned area; it will also contain other information on
the fire.  [Bonnie Clairfield, SAMO, 10/31]

4) ANALYSIS - Favorable weather conditions on fires in southern California
aided in suppression efforts yesterday and made it possible for containment
targets to be moved up.  Demobilization of crews and overhead is underway. 
New fire activity in California and all other geographic areas was minimal.

5) PROGNOSIS - A red flag watch has been issued for strong northeast to east
winds in central California.  Southern California will be cooler with higher
humidities, lower clouds and fog along the coast, thereby aiding suppression
efforts on large fires.  A red flag watch has been posted for strong winds
in the Colorado River valley in Arizona.

[NIFCC Intelligence Section, 11/1]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No field reports today.

NOTES

1) Fee Program - Wes Kreis, the former Servicewide fee program manager,
retired last week.  Until the position is filled, the program will be
jointly managed by John Townsend of MWRO and Mark Forbes of PNRO, who will
be on detail to Ranger Activities through the end of the year. 
Communications to them via cc:Mail should go to WASO RAD Fees.

STAFF STATUS

Division Chief: No leave or travel scheduled.

Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Dickerhoof at Pacific Northwest
chief rangers' conference and on park site visits (11/1-11/4); Marriott at
Alaska chief rangers' conference (11/2-11/6).  

Branch of Fire and Aviation: Broyles at faculty meeting for fire management
for agency administrators (11/1-11/5); Farrel at federal fire forum meeting
(11/1-11/4); Botti, Berg and Clark at FIREPRO steering committee meeting
(11/1-11/6).


Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities

Telephone: Branch of R&VP - 202-208-4874
           Branch of F&A (WASO) - 202-208-5572
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cc:Mail:   Branch of R&VP - WASO Ranger Activities
           Branch of F&A (WASO) - WASO Fire and Aviation
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