- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Thursday, August 3, 1995
- Date: Thurs, 3 Aug 1995
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Thursday, August 3, 1995
Broadcast: By 1000 ET
INCIDENTS
95-469 - Florida/Gulf/Atlantic Coast Parks - Follow-up on Hurricane Erin
Tropical Storm Erin is once again Hurricane Erin, having been revitalized by
the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. As of 5 a.m., Erin's center was about 95
miles southeast of Pensacola, and the storm was moving northwest at about 14
mph. If the hurricane moves to the northwest, the center could reach the
Florida panhandle later this morning; if it moves to the west-northwest, the
storm could make landfall near the southern Alabama, southern Mississippi or
southern Louisiana coast later today. Current maximum winds are around 80 mph,
and further strengthening is possible. Storm surge flooding of from six to
eight feet above normal and rains of four to eight inches are likely today in
the warning area (Apalachicola, Florida, to Morgan City, Louisiana). Here are
today's reports from the parks:
* Gulf Islands - The park began preparing for the arrival of Erin on
Tuesday. Campers were permitted to register for one night only, and were
advised that flash floods and high winds were probable in the near
future. As the storm moved across Florida and began taking a course
towards the park, preparatory activities escalated - the campground at
Fort Pickens was evacuated, arrangements were made to close Santa Rosa
Island and Perdido Key, and Horn and Ship Islands were evacuated and
buttoned down.
* Cumberland Island - Squall lines with gusty winds and heavy rain
associated with the hurricane began moving across Cumberland Island
shortly after daybreak yesterday. Around 7:30 a.m., a limb fell from a
tree onto a tent in the south group camping site at Sea Camp, striking
one of the three teenage girls in the tent and injuring her severely.
Park personnel were notified within 15 minutes and responded immediately
along with a medevac helicopter from University Hospital in Jacksonville.
The 13-year-old girl was on board the helicopter within 25 minutes from
the time the report was received. She remains in critical condition in
the hospital with head injuries. Ranger Noe and maintenance personnel
Brantley, David and Wentworth handled the incident, stabilizing the
victim and transporting her to the Dungeness Ruin helispot.
[Gene Phillips, CR, GUIS; Newt Sikes, Chief of Ops, CUIS; FEMA National
Emergency Coordination Center advisory]
95-484 - Bighorn Canyon (Wyoming/Montana) - Pursuit and Arrest
On the afternoon of July 25th, ranger Tammie Henderson saw a vehicle weaving
from side to side on the road near Fort Smith, Montana. When Henderson
attempted to stop it, the driver, M.F.D., 18, of Lodge Grass,
accelerated away. Henderson followed. Speeds during the pursuit reached as
high as 95 mph. BIA police joined the chase when Falls Down entered Crow
tribal lands. He was finally stopped after a tire blew out on his vehicle
about 30 miles from where the chase began. The vehicle caught fire, but the
flames were quickly extinguished. M.F.D. was arrested by rangers and BIA
officers and charged with numerous offenses. M.F.D. had been released from
jail just two days before the incident. [Del Barton, ACR, BICA]
95-485 - Cape Cod (Massachusetts) - Rescue
On the morning of July 27th, a 49-year-old woman from Springfield,
Massachusetts, collapsed on Coast Guard beach less than 50 feet from a
lifeguard stand. Lifeguards responded immediately and found that she'd stopped
breathing and had no pulse. CPR was begun, and her pulse was restored within
minutes. Rangers and local rescue personnel provided advanced life support
while she was taken from the beach to a hospital in Hyannis. At the time of
the report, she was still in critical condition and on a respirator. The cause
of her collapse is not yet known. [CRO, CACO, 7/31]
95-486 - New River Gorge (West Virginia) - Rescue
The park received a report of a person drowning at Stonecliff beach on the
afternoon of July 30th. Ranger Jim Light arrived within minutes and found four
visitors performing CPR on the victim, D.W., 34, of Glen Jean. D.W.
eventually responded with coughing and sporadic breathing, but remained semi-
conscious and responsive only to pain. Rangers administered oxygen, after
which his breathing became less labored and he was able to talk. D.W. is
currently in stable condition in an area hospital. Investigators determined
that D.W. had only limited swimming ability and that he had gotten out into
the river to a point where the current was swift and he was over his head. He
was underwater for four to six minutes before a passing canoer dove from his
canoe and pulled D.W. out of the river and onto the beach. [Rick Brown,
Acting CR, NERI]
95-487 - C&O Canal (Maryland/D.C.) - Suicide
A visitor found the body of R.G., 36, of Point of Rocks, Maryland,
along the shore of the Potomac River on the afternoon of July 28th.
Investigators determined that he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
R.G. had recently been diagnosed with cancer. [Kevin FitzGerald, CR, CHOH]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level III
2) LARGE FIRE SUMMARY
% Est
State Area Fire IMT 8/2 8/3 Con Con
AZ Coronado NF Shovel/Green Cx T2 1,275 1,275 90 CN 8/5
Coconino NF Bear Jaw T2 800 800 100 CND
Prescott NF Salt -- 500 898 100 CND
Phoenix Dis. * Joker -- - 100 0 NEC
* Christmas -- - 150 90 CN 8/3
UT Moab Dis. Triangle T1 5,100 5,340 60 CN 8/4
ID Boise Dis. Blue Gulch -- 10,000 10,000 100 CND
NV Elko Dis. Pilot -- 500 500 90 CN 8/3
Toiyabe NF * Mule Springs -- - 250 10 CN 8/3
CA Mojave NP Tuttle -- 300 300 100 CND
Joshua Tree NP Covington T2 4,000 3,500 70 CN 8/3
Klamath NF Pony T2 200 1,000 0 CN 8/5
MT Crow Agency West Pryor -- 700 1,868 98 CN 8/2
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 7 12 10 1 53 53 136
Acres Burned 3,533 1,185 670 0 1,968 3,275 10,631
4) COMMITTED RESOURCES -
Crews Engines Helicopters Airtankers Overhead
Federal 171 185 54 9 136
Non-federal 37 27 0 0 18
5) COMPARATIVE SUMMARY -
CY 1995 Five Year Average
Year-to-Date Year-to-Date
Number of Fires - U.S. 55,479 48,902
Acres Burned - U.S. 1,246,702 1,788,717
Number of Fires - Canada 6,371 -
Acres Burned - Canada 13,761,659 -
6) FIRE NARRATIVES -
* Covington Fire, Joshua Tree NP - Significant progress was made on containing
the fire yesterday. One small, park-owned cabin and an unoccupied travel
trailer were destroyed by the fire.
* Pony, Klamath NF - The fire is currently threatening critical timber habitat
for threatened and endangered wildlife and fish species. The fire team is
utilizing field monitors and advisors from the Karuk tribe to help protect
cultural sites where fire lines are being constructed.
* Shovel/Green Complex, Coronado NF - The Green fire is full contained; the
Shovel fire is 90% contained. The fire continues to threaten a multi-million
dollar astrophysics site, the community of Summerhaven, and a radar site for
Tucson International Airport.
7) SITUATION - Fire activity moderated in most areas yesterday. Significant
progress was made in meeting containment objectives on fires in the Southwest.
Requests for resources through NICC decreased.
8) OUTLOOK - Fire activity is expected to remain at current levels in most
areas in the West.
[NIFCC Incident Management Situation Report, 8/3]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Yellowstone (Wyoming) - Wolf Puppies
Last weekend, high winds knocked down two Douglas fir trees onto the fence
panels of the Rose Creek pen which held an adult female and eight puppies. All
eight of the pups, approximately 13 weeks old and weighing between 25 and 30
pounds, subsequently escaped through openings in the fence. By late Monday,
wildlife biologists were able to confirm that all of them were in the immediate
area and were quite healthy. While biologists were inspecting the pen, three
puppies reentered it. The female then became quite agitated, so the biologists
left. The holes in the pen have now been plugged. Two pups are inside with
their mother; the remaining six are at large and in the area. They will be
captured, returned to the pen and held there until at least September, as
previously planned. By that time, they will be more self-sufficient and able
to protect themselves. [Cheryl Matthews, YELL]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
No notes.
OBSERVATIONS
Today's quote, another in the series specifically on parks, comes from Debbie
Liggett at Devils Tower - but concerns Everglades NP:
"Here are no lofty peaks seeking the sky, no mighty glaciers or rushing streams
wearing away the uplifted land. Here is land, tranquil in its quiet beauty,
serving not as the source of water but as the last receiver of it. To its
natural abundance we owe this spectacular plant and animal life that
distinguishes this place from all others in our country."
President Harry S. Truman, talking
about the Everglades, 1947
[Do you have a favorite quote about the NPS? If so, send it along for possible
inclusion in a future Morning Report. If you'd like a WP5.1 copy of quotes
that have appeared to date, send a note to this address]
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
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