- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Monday, September 12, 1994
- Date: Mon, 12 Sep 1994
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Monday, September 12, 1994
Broadcast: By 1000 ET
INCIDENTS
94-540 - Big Bend (Texas) - Exposure Fatality
On the evening of Sunday, September 4th, G.G., an off-duty deputy
U.S. marshall, and a companion, J.H., took a drive on Old Ore Road, a
25-mile-long, rough backcountry road. About 15 miles down the road, the
couple's Ford pickup became stuck; in the process of attempting to free the
truck, it became overheated and broke down. After making several attempts
to start the vehicle, G.G. used the only available water they had,
meltwater from ice in a cooler, to refill the radiator. All efforts to get
the pickup going again failed, however, so the couple spent the night in the
desert without food or water, then began walking out the next morning to
seek help. After walking about ten miles in over 100 degree heat, G.G.
became exhausted and delirious. J.H. employed a handgun G.G. was
carrying to fire several shots as a distress signal, then pressed on when it
became apparent that G.G. would walk no further. She walked several more
miles, firing additional rounds to attract attention, then took shelter
under a small creosote bush for shade. She rested for several hours, then
began walking again around 8 p.m. After walking a total of 16 miles in beach
thongs with no water, J.H. reached a paved park road, where she was
discovered by a park concession employee and transported to park
headquarters. A search was immediately initiated for G.G., who was found
dead a short time later at the location where J.H. had last seen him.
Although a number of spent bullet cartridges were found next to his body,
there is no indication of foul play at this time. An autopsy is being
performed and the investigation continues. [Roger Moder, LES, Big Bend,
9/8]
94-541 - New River Gorge (West Virginia) - Falling Fatality
Just before 1 a.m. on the morning of September 4th, C.P., 24, of
Greensboro, North Carolina, fell about 70 feet from a cliff at the Bridge
Buttress area and was killed. C.P. had met four friends from Virginia
during the day with the intention of spending the weekend with them camping
in the area. The group parked at the bridge late on the evening of the 3rd
and hiked uphill from the Bridge Buttress area to the base of the New River
Gorge bridge. They took a small cooler of beer with them on the hike. When
they reached the base of the bridge, they illegally climbed up on the
catwalk under the bridge and walked across to the middle of the bridge.
C.P.'s four companions then climbed over a fence on the edge of the cliff
and followed a "social trail", holding on to fence in order to keep away
from the cliff edge. C.P. called down to the others and said he was going
to try a different way over the fence. He climbed over it and around a tree
on the cliff's edge, but was apparently unable to hold onto the fence or
tree because he was carrying the beer cooler. He slipped, fell on his back,
then slid over the cliff edge, landing at the base near an occupied tent.
The campers there found him unconscious, called 911 on a cellular phone,
then attempted to resuscitate him and provide medical care. C.P. was taken
by ambulance to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after
his arrival. The incident is being investigated by the county sheriff and
park rangers. [Rick Brown, DR, Canyon District, NERI, 9/8]
94-542 - Grand Canyon (Arizona) - Rescue
On the afternoon of September 7th, the park received reports indicating that
two men were stuck on a ledge at the 5,200-foot level on the canyon's
Redwall formation about three miles down the Grandview Trail. Aerial
observation revealed that two men were trapped on a small ledge with a 50-
foot cliff below them and a 25-foot vertical pourover above them. After
initial reconnaissance, an emergency helispot was established in the
Grandview overlook parking lot to ferry personnel and equipment down to the
Horseshoe Mesa area to expedite the technical portion of the evacuation
before nightfall. Responding rangers established anchors and rapelled to
the stranded climbers just as darkness fell. A lengthy technical rescue in
extremely steep and rugged terrain ensued. The victims had been scrambling
off trail on the previous afternoon and had stranded themselves on the ledge
without food or water. The victims were returned to the South Rim, where
both were treated for mild dehydration, and one was treated for a compound
fracture in his right hand. [Dispatch, GRCA, 9/12]
94-543 - Yukon-Charley Rivers (Alaska) - Poaching Arrest
In mid-August, rangers, Canadian wildlife officers and U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service agents successfully concluded a big game poaching
investigation along the border between the two nations. A guide from Eagle,
Alaska, admitted that his client had taken sheep from Canada, and that he
had flown the animal in his aircraft to Eagle. Fish and Wildlife intends to
charge both the guide and his client, a Canadian citizen, with a felony
violation of the Lacey Act. Canadian charges are also pending against the
client for numerous game violations. [Mary Kay Taylor, ARO, 9/9]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - V
2) LARGE FIRE SUMMARY
% Est
State Area Fire IMT 9/9 9/12 Cont Cont
OR Wallowa-
Whitman NF Twin Lakes T1 18,760 19,440 65 9/14
MT Glacier NP North Fork Cx -- 5,151 5,353 60 NEC
Gallatin NF Black Butte T2 200 12,100 90 9/12
* Smith Creek T2 - 1,500 0 9/14
Crow Agency Dry Head -- 2,000 2,300 100 CND
Lewiston Dis. * South Snowy T2 - 870 80 9/11
Miles City Dis.* Morehead Cx -- - 4,477 85 9/11
N. Cheyenne
Agency * Baby Dean T1 - 54,560 60 9/12
ID Boise NF Idaho City Cx T1 131,000 142,600 40 NEC
Thunderbolt T2 18,000 20,000 50 9/20
Payette NF Corral Creek -
Blackwell Cx# T1 91,250 148,110 50 NEC
Chicken Cx T1 82,000 88,345 10 NEC
Clearwater NF Powell Cx T2 14,307 14,322 33 NEC
Challis NF Pioneer Creek T2 9,032 9,032 90 9/12
Caribou NF Tin Cup Cx -- 1,450 1,665 70 9/21
UT Uinta NF * Trojan II T2 - 2,560 30 9/14
WY Yellowstone NP * Robinson -- - 977 5 NEC
Bridger-
Teton NF * East Miner T2 - 107 80 9/12
# - The Corral Creek and Blackwell Complexes have been combined.
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 5 4 10 0 35 21 75
Acres Burned 2 24 340 0 42 6,242 6,650
4) COMMITTED RESOURCES -
Crews Engines Helicopters Airtankers Overhead
Federal 276 206 81 6 1,866
Non-federal 39 101 28 0 998
5) COMPARATIVE SUMMARY -
CY 1994 Five Year Average
Year-to-Date Year-to-Date
Number of Fires 59,510 56,061
Acres Burned 3,427,954 2,203,387
6) OVERALL SITUATION - Cooler temperatures and higher humidities helped
firefighters in control efforts on several large fires in Oregon, Montana
and Idaho yesterday. More new fires were reported in eastern Montana. A
Type II incident management team has been assigned to Alaska to assist in
the recovery efforts from the Koyukuk flood, which has affected 252
residents in three villages along the river.
7) NPS SITUATION - Sequoia-Kings Canyon reported extreme fire danger on
Friday; Grand Teton, Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone, Joshua Tree, Lava Beds,
Yosemite and Great Basin all reported very high fire dangers.
* Yellowstone - Airtankers and helicopters were heavily utilized yesterday
on the Robinson fire, which has burned just under 1,000 acres.
* Glacier - Two new lightning starts were detected Thursday afternoon in the
southeast portion of the park. The Coal and Pinchot fires (both 0.1
acres) were initial attacked with helicopter drops and a crew was sent in to
the Pinchot fire Friday morning. No changes were reported for any of the
other fires in the park's North Fork Complex.
* Sequoia/Kings Canyon - Temperatures have dropped, some but fuels in the
park are extremely dry. Prescribed natural fires are generally burning at
low intensity. The Hockett prescribed natural fire is the only PNF to add
acreage (1/2 acre).
* Yosemite - The Rock and Double prescribed natural fires, which started on
July 18th, have reportedly burned one and two-and-a-half acres,
respectively. The weather had cooled considerably, but the relative
humidity and fuel moisture remained at low levels.
* Grand Teton - Mop-up and patrol actions continued on the Row fire and were
expected to continue until a significant weather event occurs. The area is
highly visible from the main highway and smokes are being called in by
visitors and employees.
8) OUTLOOK - A red flag warning has been posted for low humidity and strong,
gusty winds in Utah and western Wyoming, and a red flag watch is in effect
for strong, gusty winds in southern Nevada and northwest Arizona. Fire
activity may accordingly increase in those areas.
[NIFCC Incident Management Situation Report, 9/12; Dean Berg, NPS Branch of
Fire and Aviation Management, 9/9; Len Dems, FMO, GRTE, 9/9]
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