- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Wednesday, July 12, 1995
- Date: Wed, 12 Jul 1995
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Wednesday, July 12, 1995
Broadcast: By 1000 ET
INCIDENTS
95-397 - C&O Canal (Maryland/D.C.) - Car Clouting Arrest and Conviction
On July 2nd, rangers arrested L.P. of Martinsburg, West Virginia,
after a ranger conducting surveillance of a parking area at Lock 34 saw him
enter a locked vehicle and remove a woman's purse. L.P. had been the
focus of an extensive investigation involving rangers and authorities from West
Virginia and Maryland. The park alone has logged over 50 car clouts so far
this year. Rangers conducted weekend surveillance of target parking areas over
a two-month period, during which time information was gained that narrowed the
focus on L.P. A search of L.P.'s vehicle led to the recovery of
additional stolen property. Victims from two car clouts stopped to report the
crimes while the vehicle search was in progress and discovered their property
among the recovered items. L.P. was charged with theft under 18 USC 661
and with tampering and misappropriation of property under 36 CFR; he also faces
drug possession and additional car clouting charges in Maryland. L.P.
pled guilty to the theft charge under a plea agreement and was sentenced to six
months in jail pending a pre-sentencing investigation. Further investigation
on property recovered could lead to additional state or federal charges. [CRO,
CHOH]
95-398 - Golden Gate (California) - HazMat Incident
The Presidio fire department responded to the release of compressed chlorine
gas from a pump house in the Presidio just after 5 a.m. on July 7th. The pump
house is located near several heavily populated neighborhoods. A unified
command was established in conjunction with the San Francisco fire and police
departments and representatives from air quality and public health agencies.
The leak was stopped and all necessary actions taken by 6:30 a.m.; no
evacuations were necessary. Park Police officer Kenneth Blair inhaled some
chlorine while investigating the audible alarm at the pump house. He was taken
to a hospital for observation, but was found to be okay and later released.
[CRO, GOGA]
95-399 - Yosemite (California) - Felony Theft; Arrest
On June 17th, rangers received a report of a man cutting a cable and lock and
removing a mountain bike from a rack attached to a vehicle at the Lower
Yosemite Falls parking lot. They subsequently spotted the man and the bike,
but were unable to catch him. On the following day, ranger Kathy Korte saw a
man fitting his description riding on one of the park's bike paths. She was
unable to contact him because she was on the other side of the river, but
radioed his position to other rangers. Ranger Cameron Sholly soon spotted him
riding with a second person and ordered both of them to stop. They split up,
however, and pedaled away in different directions. Sholly pursued and caught
the original suspect after he fell off his bike and fled. The man violently
resisted arrest, but was subdued and taken into custody. He was charged with
felony possession of stolen property and interfering. It's believed that the
person who escaped was also involved in a large number of mountain bike thefts
that have taken place over the past several months. The investigation
continues. [Mary Coelho, YOSE]
95-400 - Natchez Trace (Mississippi/Alabama/Tennessee) - Kidnapping; Rape
On July 4th, a 38-year-old woman from Tupelo, Mississippi, was forcibly
abducted, driven to Old Town overlook, and raped. She reported the incident to
Tupelo police the next day; they in turn notified the park and the FBI. One
suspect is in custody, and another may be implicated in the attack. The woman
said that her assailant threatened to kill her if she did not cooperate. The
incident appears to be drug related, and is being investigated by rangers, FBI
agents, and Tupelo detectives. [Tim Francis, ACR, NATR]
95-401 - Grand Canyon (Arizona) - Rescue
Rangers were flagged down by a man sitting along East Rim Drive near Grandview
Point late on the morning of July 4th. The man, 51-year-old J.C., was
disoriented and suffering from dehydration. J.C. told rangers that he'd
walked into the forest south of the drive a week earlier with plans to stay
there until he died. After four days, he began walking back to the road. It
took him two days to cover about two miles, during which time he had no food or
water. Rangers provided advanced life support treatment and took him to the
park clinic. After treatment there, J.C. was admitted to a psychiatric
treatment facility. J.C. said that he had been hearing voices telling him
to hurt himself, and that he would have killed himself if he hadn't been found.
He has a history of manic-depressive and violent schizophrenic disorders and
had not taken his medications for several months. [CRO, GRCA]
95-402 - Crater Lake (Oregon) - Rescue
Three-year-old S.M. fell from the third floor of the newly dedicated
Crater Lake Lodge on the evening of July 7th. Responding rangers found the
child in his room with his parents; they immobilized him, provided emergency
care, and had him flown to a local hospital, where doctors determined he'd
suffered only minor injuries. Preliminary findings indicate that the child
landed on a newly revegetated surface, which may have prevented serious injury.
An investigation is underway. [George Buckingham, CR, CRLA]
95-403 - Grand Canyon (Arizona) - Rescue
On the afternoon of July 4th, G.S., 30, of Columbus, Ohio, fell about
ten feet while climbing below the canyon rim at Duck-On-A-Rock overlook on East
Rim Drive, suffering a fractured tibia, dislocated knee and fractured wrist.
Ten rangers responded and extricated him via a short litter raising operation.
G.S. was taken to Flagstaff Medical Hospital by ambulance, where he
subsequently underwent surgery for his injuries. [CRO, GRCA]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II
2) LARGE FIRE SUMMARY
% Est
State Area Fire IMT 7/11 7/12 Con Con
AZ State Reed -- 500 500 100 CND
Tonto NF Basin-
Horseshoe Cx T2 10,000 14,000 20 CN 7/20
Salt -- 1,250 1,250 100 CND
San Carlos Agency Burdette T2 4,642 10,484 60 CN 7/12
Arizona Strip Dis. Mountain Sheep -- 550 551 100 CND
Phoenix Dis. *Union -- - 1,000 10 CN 7/13
UT Cedar City Dis. Milford Pass -- 9,125 9,125 100 CND
Pinnacle Peak -- 511 511 100 CND
Salt Lake City Dis. *Terra -- - 900 90 CN 7/12
CO San Juan NF *Fowl -- - 100 90 CN 7/12
FL Loxohatchie NWR *Westside -- - 3,000 60 NEC
OR Vale Dis. Indian Fort -- 13,000 14,000 100 CND
HEADING NOTES:
Fire * = newly reported fire (on this report). Cx = complex.
IMT T1 = Type 1; T2 = Type II; ST1 = state Type 1; ST2 = state Type 2.
% 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 2 11 1 148 43 207
Acres Burned 0 2 4 3,000 5,4338 209 8,648
4) COMMITTED RESOURCES -
Crews Engines Helicopters Airtankers Overhead
Federal 43 58 24 4 0
Non-federal 0 6 0 0 0
5) COMPARATIVE SUMMARY -
CY 1995 Five Year Average
Year-to-Date Year-to-Date
Number of Fires - U.S. 47,562 41,279
Acres Burned - U.S. 875,024 1,150,453
Number of Fires - Canada 5,617 -
Acres Burned* - Canada 10,746,730 -
* Effective today, hectares are being converted to acres for this report.
6) SITUATION - Initial attack continued throughout the West yesterday. Large
fires have moderated, however, and containment targets have been met on several
of them. Fire activity also increased in Florida, and accelerated in Canada,
where over 420,000 acres burned.
7) OUTLOOK - A fire weather watch remains in effect for strong winds in
southern Nevada. Large fires are expected to continue in southern sections of
the West; initial attack will continue throughout the region. Fire activity
could increase in Florida and New England due to hot and dry conditions in both
areas.
[NIFCC Incident Management Situation Report, 7/12]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Sequoia-Kings Canyon (California) - Bear Rescue
Park visitors struck a 35-pound bear with their vehicle on June 26th. A VIP
bear technician and a resource management employee who witnessed the accident
immediately lifted the bear's head and opened its airway. The bear was also
bleeding from its mouth. Park staff, including a bear ranger and a medic,
arrived on scene within minutes and concluded that the bear should be humanely
dispatched, but a veterinarian who was visiting the park offered to examine the
bear first. He concluded that it had suffered only a concussion, so oxygen and
a saline solution were administered from a park medic kit. The vet also
recommended dexamethasone to decrease swelling of the brain. Resource managers
acquired the drug from a vet supply center the next day and administered to the
bear, then being held in a culvert trap. During the next few hours, the bear
showed a marked recovery, got up, and began eating and drinking. It was
released the following day, and immediately began eating vegetation. [Jill
Oertley, SEKI]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
No notes.
OBSERVATIONS
"The most important reason for preserving historic sites and buildings is not
primarily economic. If they are to be preserved, our people must believe in
the value of continuity in the life of the community, linking past generations
with the present generation and with the generations yet to come. They must
believe that tradition is an essential part of community and national life.
They must believe in the worthwhileness of remembering and preserving the best
of the creative achievements of our ancestors."
Hillory A. Tolson,
Assistant Director,
NPS, 1933-1963
[Do you have a favorite quote about the NPS? If so, send it along for possible
inclusion in a future Morning Report...]
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
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