- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Monday, August 22, 1994
- Date: Mon, 22 Aug 1994
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Monday, August 22, 1994
Broadcast: By 0930 ET
INCIDENTS
94-484 - Glen Canyon (Arizona/Utah) - Drowning
On the evening of August 18th, three juvenile boys were swimming at the rear
of their families' houseboat, which was moored in a side canyon of Rock
Creek, while the boat's generator was running. The boys were apparently
swimming under a solid wooden deck at the back of the boat where exhaust
from the generator is expelled. Around dark, the three climbed on to the
deck to rest. One of them, 13-year-old M."D."W., said he felt
dizzy. The other boys left him sitting on the deck and went into the
houseboat. Some time later, W.'s family realized that he was missing.
The park received notification that he might have drowned just after 9 p.m.
Rangers from Dangling Rope and Wahweap responded. Park divers recovered
W.s's body in about 20 feet of water at the rear of the houseboat just
before midnight. During the ensuing investigation, one of the boys stated
that he too had felt dizzy after climbing onto the deck. Investigators
believe that carbon monoxide from the exhaust may have been a factor in the
drowning. An autopsy will be performed by the Utah State medical examiner's
office. A CISD debriefing is scheduled for all involved personnel. [Tomie
Lee, CR, GLCA, 8/22]
94-485 - Delaware Water Gap (Pennsylvania/N.J.) - Marijuana Eradication
On August 16th, aerial overflights to detect marijuana cultivation were
conducted over portions of the Pennsylvania District of the park. Rangers,
utilizing a helicopter and crew supplied by the Pennsylvania Army National
Guard, discovered and eradicated 23 marijuana plants growing in three
separate plots within the boundary near the borough of Delaware Water Gap.
A decision to seize the plants rather than maintain surveillance on them was
made due to a lack of manpower caused by many of the park's personnel being
on the western fires and the fact that the plots were near a residential
area where residents could observe the helicopter hovering above the plots.
[Robert Wilson, Acting CR, DEWA, 8/19]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - V
2) LARGE FIRE SUMMARY
State Agency Area Fire 8/19 8/20 Status
WA USFS Wenatchee NF Tyee Comp. - T1 126,550 127,500 CN 8/24
Hatchery
Comp. - T1 43,285 43,316 NEC
OR USFS Wall.-Whit. NF Snake River
Comp. - T2 6,574 3,770 CN 9/30
Boundary - T2 5,919 11,013 CN 8/24
Okanogan NF Okanogan Comp. - T1 3,770 3,770 CN 9/30
MT NPS Glacier NP Starvation
Creek - T2 420 2,000 NEC
State - Wolf Mountain II
Comp. - T2 645 826 NEC
USFS Bitterroot NF Bitter-Nez - T2 1,690 1,925 CN 8/24
* Ann - 740 NEC
Kootenai NF 17 Mile - T1 NR
Yaak - Red Dragon
Comp. - T1 3,000 9,250 NEC
Koocanusa
Comp. - T1 950 8,420 NEC
Cabinet Comp. - T2 1,600 3,000 NEC
Pilick - T2 100
* Trout Creek
Comp. - T2 - 510 NEC
* Wilderness Comp. - 4,000 CN 9/10
* High One - 455 CN 9/5
Flathead NF Little Wolf - T2 11,500 14,000 NEC
ID USFS Boise NF Idaho City
Comp. - T1 32,800 44,700 NEC
Thunderbolt - T2 2,640 6,912 NEC
* Star Gulch - T1 - 16,000 NEC
Payette NF Blackwell Comp. -
T1 36,000 39,450 NEC
Corral Creek - T2 52,400 56,200 NEC
* Chicken Comp. - T1 - 4,000 NR
Clearwater NF Powell Comp. - T2 - 12,167 NEC
Idaho Pan. NF St Joe Fires - T2 700 850 NEC
Priest Lake
Comp. - T2 692 815 CN 9/5
* Fisher Peak - 356 NEC
* Northwest Peak - 100 CN 8/26
* Scotchman Peak - 275 CN 8/28
Challis NF Pioneer Creek - T2 5,464 6,250 NEC
Caribou NF Tin Cup - T2 150 503 CN 8/24
UT USFS Was.-Cache NF Beaver Mtn. - T2 617 617 CN 8/22
CA USFS Tahoe NF Cottonwood - T1 21,000 43,700 CN 8/24
FWS Wichita Mtn NWR * Central Peak - 3,200 CN 8/24
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 2 13 16 1 62 43 137
Acres Burned 358 1 6 1 259 85 710
4) COMMITTED RESOURCES -
Crews Engines Helicopters Airtankers Overhead
Federal 549 409 132 27 3,415
Non-federal 88 331 31 0 823
5) COMPARATIVE SUMMARY -
CY 1994 Five Year Average
Year-to-Date Year-to-Date
Number of Fires 55,576 52,568
Acres Burned 2,790,460 1,999,849
6) OVERALL SITUATION - Moderate initial attack activity continued yesterday
in most areas, but fires burned actively and increased substantially in size
in the northern Rockies and eastern Great Basin. Three Type I incident
management teams were ordered.
7) NPS SITUATION - General situation overviews are not presently available;
individual park reports will continue to appear.
* Zion - The park had seven new lightning fires reported on the evening of
August 17th and the morning of the 18th, and another fire within a mile of
the park on private land protected by the county. Three fires were attached
on the 18th; one is out, and two were contained with the help of bucket
drops from BLM's Arizona Strip helicopter and two members of the helitack
crew. Three people hiked four miles down the West Rim trail and about a
half mile to the Rainbow fire to hold this fire at a quarter acre in heavy
fuels. Two firefighters were flown from the Detour fire, a seven-acre
carryover confinement wildfire, to the Hollow fire, also near the West Rim
trail, a major hiking route across the Horse Pasture Plateau. Two
additional firefighters were flown to the Sunrise fire, near the northeast
corner of the park. A fourth fire, the Dawn fire, burning in brush near an
isolated point above Goose Creek, was not attacked; smoke reappeared late in
the afternoon, and a crew was to hike out to it. Assistance of three
firefighters and a sawyer was requested from Bryce Canyon; these dropped
another snag on the MIA fire to assist Washington County. No smoke was seen
from the Cougar Mountain fire, the Greathart fire (which was two miles south
of the Detour fire and could also be managed in a confinement status), or
the Flicker fire, reported last night burning in manzanita. No smoke is
visible from the Detour fire, although some large dead and down material
continues to smolder within the burn. The BLM Automated Lightning Detection
System (ALDS) recorded approximately 200 strikes from the storm in the park
and nearby area.
8) OUTLOOK - A red flag warning has been posted for strong winds and low
relative humidity in Idaho, Wyoming and western and central Montana. These
winds will again test lines and cause increased activity on most fires.
[NIFCC Incident Management Situation Report, 8/22; Art Latterell, ZION,
8/19]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
No field reports today.
OPERATIONAL NOTES
No notes.
MEMORANDA
No memoranda.
MEETINGS/TRAINING CALENDAR
Calendar appears in the morning report every other Monday. If you know of a
conference, meeting or training session with Servicewide interest and
implications, please forward the listing to WASO Ranger Activities. Entries
are listed no earlier than FOUR months before the event. Asterisks indicate
new entries; brackets at end of entry indicate source of information:
8/28-9/3 -- "Cultures Connected: Automating Museums in the Americas and
Beyond", Renaissance Hotel, Washington, DC. Joint meeting of
the International Council of Museums Documentation Committee and
the and the Museum Computer Network; hosted by the NPS,
Smithsonian Institution and National Gallery of Art.
Discussions and workshops will include information sharing, data
structure and terminology, multimedia, imaging, Internet, public
policy, technology and culture, and more. Contact: Joan
Bacharach, 202-343-8140. [Joan Bacharach, CSC/WASO]
8/29-31 -- Sustaining Rangeland Ecosystems, La Grande, OR. Contact: John
Tanaka, 503-963-7122. [Kathy Jope, PNRO]
8/30-9/1 -- Universal Access to Backcountry/Primitive Recreation Areas. The
training course will employ St. Croix NSR as the classroom to
train employees on ways to better meet the needs of disabled
visitors in outdoor recreation areas. Look for the current NPS
training announcement. Contact: Kay Ellis, 202-343-3674. [Kay
Ellis, Office of Accessibility, WASO]
9/8-9 -- Decision Analysis for Environmental Risk Management, Palo Alto,
CA. Contact: Katrina Rolfes, 415-926-9227. [Kathy Jope, PNRO]
9/9-16* -- Wilderness EMT, Grand Canyon, AZ. $114 tuition includes NASAR
certification. Benefitting account; housing available at AEDC.
Prerequisite: EMT, IEMT, paramedic or RN training. The course
is designed for EMS providers who operate in either a wilderness
context or in delayed or prolonged transport situations.
Contact: Ken Phillips, Grand Canyon, 602-638-7840.
9/10-12 -- Second Annual Meeting, Central Division Working Group, Declining
Amphibian Populations Task Force, Bailly Training Center,
Indiana Dunes NL, IN. Papers given on the first two days will
include a wide range of topics related to amphibians; a
discussion on methods for establishing amphibian censuses will
take place during the session on the 12th. Contact: Registration
- Dr. Michael J. Lannoo, 712-337-3669; information - Dr. Ralph
Grundel, INDU, 219-926-7561. [Gary Sullivan, MWRO]
9/11-16 -- Managerial Grid, Phase I, and Managerial Grid Instructor
Preparation Seminar, Richmond, VA. Sponsored by ANPR. An NPS
course announcement will be out shortly. Contact: Debbie
Gorman, 518-793-3140. [Bill Wade, SHEN]
9/12-16 -- International Geographic Information and Resource Technology
Seminar, Toronto, Canada. The conference will give participants
an opportunity to help shape the future development and use of
decision support systems for the management of natural resources
and the environment. Contact: Michael Power, Natural Resources
Canada, 613-589-2880. [Kathy Jope, PNRO]
9/19-23 -- "Retrofitting for Accessibility: A Course for Maintenance
Personnel", Bradford Woods, Martinsville, IN. This course,
which is directed toward facility managers and maintenance
personnel, will focus on physical access and on making our
facilities accessible to disabled visitors. Look for the
current NPS training announcement. Contact: Kay Ellis, 202-343-
3674. [Kay Ellis, Office of Accessibility, WASO]
9/21-25 -- First Annual Conference of the Wildlife Society, Albuquerque,
NM. Contact: Doug Slack, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2258.
[Steve Cinnamon, MWRO]
9/22-24 -- Watershed Restoration Techniques, Redwood National Park, CA.
This three-day course provides an introduction to watershed
rehab techniques, concentrating on erosion control, road removal
and watershed restoration. It is intended for professionals
working in land management agencies who have knowledge of basic
geomorphic principles. $100 fee. For registration of further
information, contact Loretta Farley at 707-465-4113 or 5668, or
via cc:Mail by name. [Loretta Farley, REDW]
9/24-25 -- Advanced Critical Incident Stress Debriefing Workshop, Delaware
County Emergency Services Training Center, Darby, PA. The
course will provide the latest information on the assessment and
effective treatment of critical incident stress and its post-
trauma syndromes. Contact: Lisa Berg, International Critical
Incident Stress Foundation, 410-730-4311. [Jim Lee, RAD/WASO]
9/26-29 -- "Revealing Visions: Reconciling the Past with the Present for
the Future", workshop, Council for American Indian
Interpretation, Albright EDC, Grand Canyon, AZ. The workshop
will focus on the current cultural and natural resource issues
affecting American Indian peoples and how to better interpret
these issues. Contact: Karen Gustin, AEDC, 602-638-2691, or
write to CAII Workshop, PO Box 344, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023.
[Karen Gustin, AEDC]
10/6-8 -- Gran Quivira Conference XXIII, Mountainair, NM. An exchange of
information and updates on current research, interpretation and
management of Spanish Colonial era sites. Contact: Kayla
Ellsbury, PO Box 496, Mountainair, NM 87036. [Milford Fletcher,
SWRO]
10/6-8 -- Ninth Annual Wilderness Emergencies Conference, Flagstaff, AZ.
The emphasis of the conference will be on dealing with problems
in a wilderness setting away from medical facilities and
traditional "tools of the trade." Contact: Conference
Coordinator Gerri Gunn, Flagstaff Medical Center, 602-773-2055.
[Gerri Gunn, FMC]
10/6-8* -- "Grand Canyon: Toward a Geography of Hope", Grand Canyon, AZ.
This symposium, which is being held in commemoration of the
park's 75th anniversary, is being convened to discuss park
management and the opportunities and barriers to successful
protection of the Colorado Plateau ecoregion. This symposium
will further discuss the future of parks in the context of the
growing need for cooperative management across ecosystems. NPS
training certified; funded by benefiting account. Contact:
Dennis Hamm, Grand Canyon, 602-638-7773.
10/9-14 -- AMSAR Technical Rescue Seminar, Joshua Tree NM, CA. Contact:
American Search and Rescue Association, 619-365-3114. [Response
magazine, NASAR]
10/23-29 -- Eighth International Outdoor Recreation Conference, Colorado
Springs, CO. A wide variety of sessions on outdoor recreation
activities, vendor exhibits, and job mart. Contact: Bob McKeta,
Director, Army Outdoor Recreation, 703-325-2523 (fax 2519).
[Bob McKeta, AOR, USA]
10/24-28* -- Public Safety Management, Denver, CO (tentative). This course
will survey significant sources of visitor injury and fatalities
on DOI lands, examine causative factors, and work on strategies
for reducing these losses. It will address major sources of
fatal accidents (design, construction, operations, and
maintenance), risk recreation management, legal aspects/bureau
responsibilities, signs, and other sources of public information
and strategies for providing for the safety of the visiting
public. For further information, call Betty Evans at 303-231-
5213.
10/28-11/4 -- Alaska Region Chief Rangers' Workshop and Training, Anchorage,
AK. Contact: Rich O'Guin, RAD/ARO. [Rich O'Guin, RAD/WASO]
10/31-11/4 -- "Partners in Paleontology: Protecting Our Fossil Heritage",
Fourth Conference on Fossil Resources, Colorado Springs, CO.
Hosted by Florissant Fossil Beds and BLM. The conference is a
workshop designed for staffs of federal, state and local
government agencies and cooperating organizations, including
managers, resource specialists, law enforcement specialists,
interpreters, curators and associated researchers. Contact:
Maggie Johnson, 719-748-3253. [Brian Lakes, FLFO]
10/31-11/4* -- Environmental Safety and Health, Denver, CO (tentative). This
course will cover environmental laws and regulations, including
the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act, the Comprehensive Environmental
esponse, the Compensation and Liability Act, OSHA and DOT
regulations relating to hazardous materials, and related laws.
Principal emphasis is placed on practical application and
implementation of these laws to protect workers. For further
information, call Betty Evans at 303-231-5213.
11/14-19 -- Annual Interagency Wilderness Conference and 30th Anniversary of
the Wilderness Act, Santa Fe, NM. Contact: Alan Schmierer, WRO,
415-744-3932. [Wes Henry, RAD/WASO]
11/14 -- CANCELED: Rocky Mountain Region Superintendents' Conference,
Moab, UT. Contact: Ron Everhart, RMRO.
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