- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Thursday, July 28, 1994
- Date: Thurs, 28 Jul 1994
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Thursday, July 28, 1994
Broadcast: By 0930 ET
INCIDENTS
94-429 - Big Bend (Texas) - Operation Rockcut
Earlier this year, rangers at Big Bend initiated Operation Rockcut, a
lengthy undercover investigation into illegal reptile poaching in the park.
The operation eventually led to the discovery of poaching activities in
which many protected species were being illegally collected in Big Bend,
Chiricahua, Organ Pipe, Coronado, Fort Davis and on other non-NPS public
lands. On the morning of July 20th, Big Bend rangers, Southwest Region
special agents and Texas parks and wildlife officers executed federal and
state search and arrest warrants in Lajitas, a community just outside park
boundaries. At the same time, rangers from Organ Pipe, Montezuma's Castle,
Saguaro, Hot Springs, Everglades, Independence, Amistad and San Antonio
Missions, together with Park Police officers from New York, executed federal
search warrants and interviewed suspects in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, New
York, New Jersey, and Texas. Arizona, Florida and New York game and
conservation officers were also instrumental in this coordinated interagency
effort. James Chisum, Lance Benton, and Wayne Matthews, all of Lajitas,
Texas, were arrested on numerous state charges stemming from the
investigation into federal Lacey Act violations. Evidence seized in Lajitas
included approximately 50 reptiles, articles for hunting and transporting
reptiles, documents, photos, cacti, and a firearm. A quantity of illegal
drugs was also seized. The investigation into Lacey Act and resource and
firearms violations involving both plant and animal poaching from the parks
is continuing. As of this date, investigators have identified 27 suspects
and 288 state and federal violations, 80 of them Lacey Act offenses.
Additional details will follow. The park extends its appreciation to the
cooperative interagency efforts of all the law enforcement units involved in
this investigation. [Superintendent, BIBE, 7/26]
94-430 - Sequoia/Kings Canyon (California) - Falling Fatality
On the afternoon of July 23rd, M.B., 32, of Oceanside,
California, was hiking with her husband near the top of Mist Falls when she
reportedly walked out on a ledge, slipped, and was carried over the falls,
plunging 130 feet to her death. Rangers recovered her body after diving
into the pool at the base of the falls. Because of discrepancies in her
husband's account of what happened, rangers and FBI agents are conducting an
investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death. [Tom Tschohl,
SEKI, 7/26]
94-431 - Glen Canyon NRA (Utah/Arizona) - Drowning
Y.B., 21, of Kaibeto, Arizona drowned approximately one mile north
of the Glen Canyon Dam on July 26th. Y.B. was walking out on a sandstone
ledge and walked off the edge into 400 to 500 feet of water. Y.B. was
reportedly not a good swimmer. His brother-in-law, J.A., tried
to rescue him, but was unsuccessful. Alcohol was not a factor in this
accident. Park divers unsuccessfully searched the area for Y.B.'s body.
Search efforts are continuing. [LES, GLCA, 7/27]
94-432 - Mount Rainier (Washington) - Search in Progress
W.O., 41, of Seattle, Washington, disappeared from his campsite in
the Ipsut Creek campground in the early morning hours of July 26th. W.O.'s
two companions told rangers that they last saw him around 3 a.m. when they
were all sitting and drinking by a campfire. They also reported that W.O.
was intoxicated and may have been using drugs. Around 6 a.m., they found
that he was gone; following unsuccessful efforts to find him, they advised
rangers that he was missing. A hasty search of the area surrounding the
campground was conducted, campers were interviewed, and checks were made
with local law enforcement agencies, but all proved fruitless. The site
where W.O. and his friends were camping is the closest one in the
campground to the Carbon River, which is currently running at high volume.
A helicopter that was working in the park was employed to make a low level
aerial search of the river, but no sign of W.O. was found. Both air and
ground scent dogs were brought into the search on the morning of the 27th.
[Bill Larson, MORA, 7/27]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - IV
The preparedness level has gone up one step. Preparedness Level IV goes
into effect when the following conditions are met: Two or more geographic
areas experiencing incidents requiring Type I teams. Competition exists for
resources between geographic areas. 450 crews or nine Type I teams
committed nationally.
2) LARGE FIRE SUMMARY
State Agency Area Fire 7/27 7/27 Status
WA USFS Wenatchee NF Tyee Comp. - T1 14,500 25,000 NEC
Hatchery
Crk. - T1 250 400 CN 8/1
Okanogan NF Poorman - T1 200 813 CN 7/29
ABC Misc. 137 137 NEC
* Thunder Mtn. - 600 NEC
Colville NF Republic Comp. - T2 300 300 CN 7/28
Olson Comp. 175 250 NEC
BIA Yakima Agency Lakebeds - T2 2,500 2,900 NEC
* McReady - 125 NEC
* Yedlick - 300 NEC
State - White Stone 1,600 1,600 CND
- Highlands Comp. 1,500 1,500 NEC
- Butler Comp. 1,400 1,150 NEC
Murray Comp. 200 304 NEC
OR USFS Siskiyou NF Mendenhall
Comp. - T1 3,666 4,136 NEC
Umatilla NF * Bracken Point - 700 NEC
BLM Burns Dis. Riddle Ranch 300 350 CN 7/28
Rye Crass Crk. 100 100 CN 7/26
Prineville Dis. Little Ferry 1,450 6,300 CN 7/31
Narrows 2,410 2,410 CN 7/28
BIA Warm Springs
Agency Le Clair - T2 11,000 25,700 CN 7/28
CA USFS Klamath NF Dillon Comp. - T1 6,221 8,099 NEC
Six Rivers NF Blue/Salmon - T2 795 705 CN 7/29
NV BLM Elko Dis. Goose Creek - T2 14,500 16,000 CND
Carson City Dis.* Stillwater - 150 CN 7/27
MT BIA Flathead Agency Nirada - T2 1,800 3,600 CN 7/30
State - Henry Peak - T2 160 1,000 NEC
ID USFS Idaho
Panhandle NF Moose Lake Comp. 68 68 CN 7/28
Payette NF * Ruby - T1 - 250 NEC
BLM Burley Dis. * Elevator - T2 - NR NEC
Idaho Falls Dis.* Geneva - 600 CND
CO BLM Craig Dis. Three Forks 200 200 CND
AZ Sate - Homestead 250 250 NEC
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 NEC - No estimate of containment
CND - Contained CN/CS (date) - Expected date of containment
3) FIRE HIGHLIGHTS -
* Tyee Complex, Wenatchee NF - The fire has burned seven homes and more are
threatened.
* Le Clair, Warm Springs Agency - The fire made a major run yesterday; the
subdivisions of Sunnyside and Dry Creek were evacuated.
* Lakebeds, Yakima Agency - Control lines on the south end of the fire were
lost yesterday. Crews were pulled off the fire several times due to
explosive fire behavior.
* Dillon Complex, Klamath NF - The complex now consists of 23 fires.
Several have the potential for burning together within the next two burning
periods.
4) FIRES YESTERDAY -
NPS BIA BLM FWS States USFS Total
Number 4 24 39 2 55 177 301
Acres Burned 0 598 3,720 1,865 2,028 24,329 32,540
5) COMMITTED RESOURCES -
Crews Engines Helicopters Airtankers Overhead
Federal 260 107 67 17 1,811
Non-federal 50 46 4 3 704
6) COMPARATIVE SUMMARY -
CY 1994 Five Year Average
Year-to-Date Year-to-Date
Number of Fires 46,906 44,308
Acres Burned 1,716,014 1,518,954
7) SITUATION - Fire activity in the northern Rockies, Northwest and eastern
Great Basin continued to escalate due to persisting hot and dry weather
conditions. Many resource orders were processed through NICC, and some
shortages were reported. The hot weather has produced erratic fire
behavior. The ten fire orders and 18 watchout situations should be
reaffirmed with all fire personnel. With the escalation to Preparedness
Level IV, additional management actions need to be taken. Managers should
refer to chapter 27.3.4 of the national mobilization guide.
8) OUTLOOK - Red flag warnings have been posted for dry lightning and low
humidity in western Montana, and for strong westerly winds and low humidity
for the east slopes of eastern Oregon. Hot and dry weather will remain over
the West; temperatures will again range from the 80s to 100 in the interior
West to 110 in the desert Southwest. Fire activity is expected to
accelerate as weather conditions persist. Resource availability will remain
poor, and no relief is in sight.
[NIFCC Incident Management Situation Report, 7/28]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
No field reports today.
OPERATIONAL NOTES
No notes.
MEMORANDA
No memoranda.
Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities
Telephone: 202-208-4874
Telefax: 202-208-6756
cc:Mail: WASO Ranger Activities
SkyPager: Emergencies ONLY: 1-800-759-7243, PIN 2404843