- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Thursday, August 11, 1994
- Date: Thurs, 11 Aug 1994
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Thursday, August 11, 1994
Broadcast: By 0930 ET
INCIDENTS
94-452 - Haleakala (Hawaii) - Follow-up on Search
The search for F.P., 38, of Kihei, Hawaii, ended on August 8th when
ground searchers and a dive team located his body in a pool in 'Ohe'o
Stream. F.P. and a group of friends had been swinging out over the water
on overhanging branches and jumping into the pools. Although about 200
visitors were in the vicinity at the time, no one saw him fall. On the
morning of the 8th, some campers recalled turning toward a loud cracking
sound in time to see a large branch hit the water. This information helped
pinpoint the location where divers eventually found F.P. [Karen Ardoin,
CR, HALE, 8/10]
94-455 - Canyon de Chelly (Arizona) - Assault on Ranger
Around 3 p.m. on August 10th, ranger William Yazzie responded to a report of
intoxicated subjects at Ledge Ruin Overlook within the park's boundary.
While talking with two people, a third subject, who was hidden from Yazzie,
approached him from behind, apparently struck him in the head with a large
rock, then attempted to take his 9mm semi-automatic weapon. Yazzie was
conscious enough to struggle for control of the weapon, and at least two
shots were fired. Staff at park headquarters were notified of the incident
by a local vendor about 20 minutes later. Assistant superintendent Dale
Thompson, the only other commissioned employee on duty at the time, and
visiting protection ranger Jim Unruh of Big Bend called 911, then responded
together to the overlook, where they found Yazzie lying on the ground,
bleeding from both ears and covered with blood. Two empty shell cases were
found nearby. Navajo police and EMS responded, and Yazzie was taken to a
hospital in Chinle, where he was reported last night to be in stable
condition with a concussion and other injuries - but no gunshot wounds.
More than 60 law enforcement officers, an Arizona Department of Public
Safety helicopter and a SWAT team from a total of at least six agencies
(including the FBI) participated in the subsequent manhunt. All three were
apprehended inside the canyon at 7:30 p.m. yesterday evening and taken into
custody. Two were brothers and the third was their cousin. All were local
residents and had histories of criminal activity in the park. Two had been
released from a Navajo jail less than 48 hours earlier. Additional
assistance, including a CISD counselor, is being sent to the park. [Tony
Bonanno, RCR, RAD/SWRO, 8/11]
94-456 - Big Thicket (Texas) - Stolen Vehicles Recovered
On July 30th, rangers received a report that a stolen automobile had been
driven into the Neches River near the Confluence boat ramp in the Beaumont
Unit. On August 2nd, the report was confirmed through the Jasper County
sheriff's office. Deputies and rangers recovered two stolen autos from the
river at the end of the ramp. Six suspects from Vidor, Texas, have been
arrested for the thefts. They are also suspected of other burglaries in
three counties adjoining the park. [Kim Coast, LES, BITH, 8/3]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - V
2) LARGE FIRE SUMMARY
State Agency Area Fire 8/10 8/11 Status
WA USFS Wenatchee NF Tyee Comp. - T1 121,850 121,850 CN 8/12
Hatchery
Comp. - T1 32,727 32,947 CN 8/15
Okanogan NF Okanogan Comp. -
T1 and two T2 16,045 16,045 CN 8/8
Colville NF Copper Butte - T1 10,650 10,650 CN 8/11
OR USFS Wall.-Whit. NF Snake River
Comp. - T2 3,925 5,000 CN 8/14
Malheur NF Indian Rocks 1,420 1,420 CN 8/12
Okanogan NF Methow Comp. - T2 4,200 4,200 NEC
MT State - Chamberlin - T2 1,362 1,323 CN 8/11
USFS Bitterroot NF Trail - T2 360 360 CN 8/12
Border 132 130 CN 8/12
Bitter-Nez - T2 160 180 NEC
FWS CM Russell NWR CK Creek 10,223 11,500 CN 8/11
UT BLM SLC Dis. East Harker 12,456 12,837 CND
USFS Fishlake NF Black Willow 12,000 12,000 CN 8/11
ID USFS Boise NF Idaho City
Comp. - T1 11,040 14,360 CN 8/28
Thunderbolt - T2 550 600 CN 8/12
Payette NF Blackwell Comp. -
T1 17,000 19,000 NEC
Corral Creek - T2 29,000 30,000 NEC
Clearwater NF Freezeout 450 650 NEC
Sam Group - T2 400 390 CN 8/12
Idaho Pan. NF St Joe Fires - T2 425 485 NEC
Salmon NF Powerline 375 500 NEC
WY NPS Yellowstone NP Tern 472 472 NEC
CA NPS Yosemite NP Horizon 1,650 1,700 CN 8/15
USFS Klamath NF Dillon Comp. - T2 17,962 17,962 CN 8/15
State - Kelsey 860 860 CND
- Creek 125 2,000 NEC
NV BLM Ely Dis. Kern 2,000 2,000 CND
Carson City Dis. Holbrook 6,500 6,454 CND
Las Vegas Dis. Browncrest 1,900 1,900 CND
AZ USFS Coconino NF Lost Comp. - T2 2,005 NR NEC
Prescott NF * Mockingbird - 1,300 CN 8/15
BIA San Carlos Ag. Hooker Gap 428 NR NEC
BLM Arizona Strip
Dis. Cottonwood 700 NR 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) FIRES YESTERDAY -
NPS BIA BLM FWS States USFS Total
Number 1 3 10 1 93 71 179
Acres Burned 0 101 12 0 2,572 1,999 4,684
4) COMMITTED RESOURCES -
Crews Engines Helicopters Airtankers Overhead
Federal 597 261 90 8 2,934
Non-federal 105 182 29 5 2,042
5) COMPARATIVE SUMMARY -
CY 1994 Five Year Average
Year-to-Date Year-to-Date
Number of Fires 52,926 49,744
Acres Burned 2,377,135 1,871,795
6) OVERALL SITUATION - Moderate initial attack continued throughout the
West. Large fires burned steadily; only a few problems were reported, and
good progress was made on most of them. Demobilization increased in the
Northwest.
7) NPS SITUATION - Lava Beds and Sequoia/Kings Canyon are reporting extreme
fire danger; Grand Teton, Mesa Verde, Cumberland Island, Big Bend and
Yosemite have very high fire danger.
* Yosemite - The Horizon fire was converted from a prescribed natural fire
to a wildfire yesterday afternoon. Line construction will commence today,
utilizing natural barriers and the Buena Vista trail. Steep terrain, heavy
fuels and numerous snags in the area are hampering control efforts.
* Yellowstone - The park has three fires: Smokejumpers have been demobilized
from the Tern fire (472 acres, 230 actually burned), although there is still
some activity on the fire's south end; the Pelican fire (81 acres, 48
actually burned) is 60 percent contained and should be fully contained
today; the Telemark fire (6 acres, 3 actually burned) has been controlled.
8) OUTLOOK - Initial attack activity is expected to continue due to new
starts and detection of holdover fires. Demobilization of resources from
the Northwest will increase as firefighters continue to meet containment
targets.
[NIFCC Incident Management Situation Report, 8/11; Jeanie Harris, NPS fire
situation coordinator, Branch of Fire and Aviation Management, 8/11]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
No field reports today.
OPERATIONAL NOTES
No notes.
MEMORANDA
"Guidance on Hiring Constraints During Reorganization", signed on August 9th
by Deputy Director Reynolds and sent to Directorate and Field Directorate.
Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the cooperation
and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.
Telephone: 202-208-4874
Telefax: 202-208-6756
cc:Mail: WASO Ranger Activities
SkyPager: Emergencies ONLY: 1-800-759-7243, PIN 2404843