- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Thursday, September 1, 1994
- Date: Thurs, 1 Sep 1994
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Thursday, September 1, 1994
Broadcast: By 1000 ET
INCIDENTS
94-515 - Glacier Bay (Alaska) - Aircraft Accident
An NPS contract helicopter crash-landed in the water in the upper west arm
of Glacier Bay near Reid Inlet on the morning of August 30th. The Bell Jet
Ranger II overturned in the water upon crashing, but pilot D.M., 46,
was able to get out and was retrieved within minutes by park employees who
witnessed the accident. D.M. was the only person on board at the time, and
was making a test flight after encountering mechanical difficulties with the
aircraft earlier in the evening. The cause of the accident is unknown. The
helicopter was being used in conjunction with a mine cleanup and safing
project conducted by the Park Service. The helicopter was salvaged by a
support boat working with the project. The aircraft was severely damaged in
the incident. D.M. suffered some from exposure and what appeared to be
relatively minor injuries. He was medevaced to Juneau early on the morning
of the 31st for further examination. The Park Service is investigating the
accident with NTSB investigators. [Randy King, CR, GLBA, 8/31]
94-516 - Yellowstone (Wyoming) - Antler Collecting Convictions
Three different elk antler collecting cases which came before the park
magistrate last week resulted in convictions. On August 23rd, A.C.,
39, of Bozeman, Montana, pled guilty to entering a closed area and
collecting elk antlers inside the park; he was fined $25 for the first
charge and $1,500 for the latter, placed on probation for three years, and
prohibited from entering the park during that time. A.C. and an accomplice
were apprehended by Gallatin Subdistrict rangers in May while carrying a 42-
pound bundle of elk antlers in a closed grizzly bear management area. The
accomplice is currently in jail on a state probation violation and will
appear before the magistrate at a later date. On August 25th, J.H.,
36, of Gardiner, Montana, pled not guilty to the charge of
disturbing a natural feature - an elk antler - inside the park. He was
tried, found guilty, fined $500, and prohibited from entering the park for
three years. On Mary 30th, North District rangers conducting surveillance
near the park's north boundary saw J.M. pick up an antler and hide it
near the trail. The observation was made through a spotting scope from
about three miles away. The antler cache was monitored for a while; when
J.M. failed to return to pick it up, rangers recovered the antler and
filed the charge against him. Three other men - Ma.Y., 25, of Pray,
Montana, and Mi.Y., 21, and D.A., 22, both of Livingston,
Montana - also appeared before the magistrate on the 25th. All three pled
not guilty to collecting antlers and disobeying the lawful orders of
rangers. Following a four-hour trial, the three were all found guilty on
both charges. This was Ma.Y.'s third conviction for collecting
antlers in the park and he was fined $2,500, sentenced to 30 days in jail,
and prohibited from entering the park for five years. Mi.Y. and
D.A. were each fined $1,500 and prohibited from entering the park
for three years. Rangers had observed the three men collecting and carrying
56 pounds of antlers in the Hellroaring drainage on April 1st. The rangers
were conducting a backcountry surveillance field exercise at the time as
part of the park's spring law enforcement refresher. When the rangers
contacted the suspects, they fled in different directions. Mi.Y.
was captured a short time later; the other two were apprehended when they
returned to the trailhead late in the day. [Mike Murray, ACR, YELL, 8/27]
94-517 - Blue Ridge (North Carolina/Virginia) - Suicide
On the morning of August 27th, M.Z., 18, of Brevard, North
Carolina, was found lying next to his 1983 Honda Accord with a fatal gunshot
wound in his chest. A suicide note was also found at the scene. An
investigation is underway. [CRO, BLRI, 8/30]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - V
2) LARGE FIRE SUMMARY
% Est
State Area Fire IMT 8/31 9/1 Cont Cont
WA Wenatchee NF Hatchery Cx T1 43,463 43,463 99 8/31
OR Malheur NF Little Malheur Cx T2 10,100 4,500 80 9/2
Jordon Springs T2 4,200 6,000 30 9/3
Wallowa-
Whitman NF Freezeout T1 4,000 13,000 0 NEC
Twin Lakes T1 8,340 9,300 0 NEC
Thomason Cx T2 4,203 6,100 40 NEC
Umatilla NF Sharp T2 170 170 75 9/3
Ochoco NF Potato Flat T2 150 150 100 CND
State Baldy ST 585 550 100 CND
Wallowa -- 303 303 90 8/30
MT Glacier NP North Fork Cx -- 4,551 4,551 55 NEC
Bitterroot NF Ann T2 2,890 2,890 85 9/2
Kootenai NF Yaak/Red Dragon Cx T1 12,280 12,010 80 9/2
Koocanusa Cx T1 10,685 10,685 55 9/10
Cabinet Cx T2 3,500 3,500 25 NEC
Trout Creek Cx T2 1,050 1,160 65 9/14
Libby Cx T1 12,495 12,845 70 NEC
Flathead NF Little Wolf T1 15,320 15,320 100 CND
ID Boise NF Idaho City Cx T1 92,180 92,180 65 9/7
Thunderbolt T1 12,800 13,925 40 9/12
Star Gulch T1 30,570 30,570 95 9/3
Payette NF Blackwell Cx T1 46,730 46,173 50 NEC
Corral Creek T1 76,990 83,375 45 NEC
Chicken Cx T1 45,500 49,000 5 NEC
Clearwater NF Powell Cx T2 12,675 13,416 4 NEC
Bear Camp T2 510 510 100 CND
Challis NF Pioneer Creek T2 8,148 8,223 75 NEC
Nez Perce NF Coolwater Cx -- 630 630 99 NEC
UT State Gun Range -- 500 1,000 43 NEC
WY Grand Teton NP Row T1 2,300 3,200 60 9/7
CO Craig Dis. Framus -- 500 922 70 9/1
AZ Tonto NF Bronco -- 300 300 NR NR
CA S.ville Dis. * Nelson -- - 1,000 0 9/1
HEADING NOTES:
Fire Asterisk indicates newly reported fire (on this report). Cx =
complex.
IMT T1 = Type 1; T2 = Type II; ST = State Team.
% Con Percent of fire contained.
Est Con Estimated containment date. NEC = no estimated date of
containment; CND = fully contained; NR = no report.
3) FIRES YESTERDAY -
NPS BIA BLM FWS States USFS Total
Number 1 5 24 0 44 45 119
Acres Burned 0 2 1,362 0 1,393 2,039 4,796
4) COMMITTED RESOURCES -
Crews Engines Helicopters Airtankers Overhead
Federal 446 378 143 14 2,980
Non-federal 143 207 11 7 1,085
5) COMPARATIVE SUMMARY -
CY 1994 Five Year Average
Year-to-Date Year-to-Date
Number of Fires 57,814 55,735
Acres Burned 3,134,778 2,198,011
6) OVERALL SITUATION - Initial attack activity increased yesterday.
Progress was made on several fires in the northern Rockies and on a few
fires in the Northwest and Great Basin.
7) NPS SITUATION - Joshua Tree, Sequoia-Kings Canyon, Lava Beds and Zion
reported extreme fire dangers on Wednesday, while Yosemite, Grand Teton,
Yellowstone and Cumberland Island all reported very high fire dangers.
* Glacier - Management actions on the North Fork Complex continues to
include suppression action and management of prescribed natural fires. Two
spot fires east of Starvation Creek on the Starvation fire (3,000 acres) are
being directly attacked by a 14-person NPS crew and 50% containment has been
achieved. The line on the north and west is stable and cold. Polebridge
base camp was demobilized on Saturday and suppression activities are now
being initiated from West Glacier. The Adair II fire (1,200 acres) has
remained active, with the majority of spread in the south and east portions.
Current fire activity is occurring in larch/shrub and insect-killed
lodgepole pine stands. The fire is being managed under a containment
strategy. The Howling prescribed natural fire (350 acres) has also remained
active and has progressed south into Sullivan Meadow. Burnout operations
were begun on the fire in accord with the management plan for this incident,
but light rain and high humidities have caused temporary postponement.
Plans are to prep the meadow and burn the remaining 300 acres as soon as
possible. All fires received a trace of rain from scattered showers but
current conditions indicate clearing and drying for the next few operational
periods.
* Yellowstone - No acreage changes have been reported for fires in the
Yellowstone Complex. Efforts continue to reinforce the western flank of the
Tern fire (4,463 acres). Initial attack activity in the park and the
Greater Yellowstone Area is expected to continue.
* Grand Teton - The Row fire is reportedly 2,300 acres in size. Lack of
supplies and transportation is greatly hindering placement of crews on the
fire line. The fire has moved from decadent sage into mixed conifer stands
on Shadow Mountain in an old 1988 burn. Several flare-ups were suppressed
by retardant drops. A total of seven structures were lost in the initial
stage of this incident: four cabins in the Phieffer Homestead; two
outbuildings at Aspen; and one Hunter Ranch structure. Hazard fuel
reduction work conducted around Aspen Ridge structures in July was thought
to have assisted firefighters in saving the larger structures in that area.
If weather cooperates and the fire is contained within the 1988 burn area,
the situation will remain in good shape. Initial attack personnel are
standing by for increased fire activity due to predicted thunderstorms and
stronger winds.
* Olympic - The park picked up a new lightning start, the Hopper fire (15
acres), located in steep, rugged terrain. All wildfires are currently being
managed under confinement strategy and are still within their boundaries.
Hot and dry weather is expected in the Olympics for the next few days.
8) OUTLOOK - Large fires will continue to burn actively in Idaho and eastern
Oregon. The potential exists for increasing initial attack resulting from
scattered thunderstorms.
[NIFCC Incident Management Situation Report, 9/1; Dean Berg, NPS Branch of
Fire and Aviation Management, 8/31]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
No field reports today.
OPERATIONAL NOTES
No notes.
MEMORANDA
No memoranda.
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