- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Friday, September 13, 1996
- Date: Fri, 13 Sep 1996
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Friday, September 13, 1996
Broadcast: By 1000 ET
INCIDENTS
96-396 - Organ Pipe Cactus (Arizona) - Follow-up on Resource Violation
On July 16th, rangers contacted two Canadians regarding illegal collecting of
reptiles at Quitobaquito Springs. Investigation subsequently revealed that
K.F., 37, of Welland, Ontario, had a prior record with both the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service and Canadian Wildlife Service for several reptile
collecting violations. Rangers and criminal investigator Dan Wirth worked
with officers from those two agencies and the state game and fish division to
acquire additional background information, details on local contacts, and
other intelligence on K.F., who has spent a good deal of time in the
Southwest since 1989. K.F. has used state collection permits, which he
presents to requesting officials to show he has the necessary authorizations;
the permits, however, are generally not for the species he's collected and
are for other locations. Six snakes, numerous collecting devices, and
several maps were seized by rangers. Karel and his accomplice, J.B.,
also from Welland, Ontario, have pled guilty to various resource
violations and paid $400 in fines. This is the second major snake poaching
case the park's staff has worked this summer. [Aniceto Olais, CR, ORPI]
96-524 - Canyon de Chelly (Arizona) - Flash Flood
A thunderstorm with heavy rain struck the park on the afternoon of Wednesday,
September 12th, causing flash flooding in the upper sections of both of the
park's canyons. The first waves of water reached the mouth of the canyon
near the park visitor center and campground just after 5 p.m. The water
spread from one side of the canyon to the other in many places, and ran from
three to four feet deep. Flood waters attained their maximum levels within
30 minutes and did not drop for several hours. One vehicle owned by
Thunderbird Lodge was swamped and two other large tour trucks had to be
abandoned; visitors were evacuated with other vehicles. One horse tour group
was stranded by the flood waters. Rescue personnel hiked down a steep trail
with food and warm clothing, and were eventually able to escort the group out
on Twin trail after the water began to recede, reaching safety at 11 p.m. A
second rescue occurred at White House ruin, where park personnel and local
residents moved a footbridge back into place in order to reach an Italian
couple and a local canyon resident. The canyon was closed to private vehicle
tours yesterday, and there will be only limited access to White House and
Antelope House ruins via the canyon bottom today. Upper ends of the canyon
will require extensive road work before reopening. [Anna Marie Fender,
Superintendent, CACH]
96-525 - Wrangell-St.Elias (Alaska) - Search; Falling Fatality
On September 2nd, P.H. of Lancashire, England, contacted the park,
expressing concern that he had not heard from his son D.H., 31, since he'd
sent a postcard from Glenallen on August 3rd. The postcard was of Wrangell-
St.Elias, and the message indicated that his son had completed a solo
backcountry trip in the Nabesna District. Park staff, visitor center
registers, and voluntary backcountry trip itineraries were checked to
determine if P.H. had planned another trek into the Wrangells, but with
negative results. Investigator Tim Saskowsky was able to ascertain that
P.H. was still in Alaska through information gathered from British
police, airlines, INS, banks, and H.'s family, friends and employer.
Color photographs were obtained and transmitted via Internet. A probable
search area was arrived at through interviews, equipment lists, books, maps
and P.H.'s last credit card transaction, posted on August 7th, for a bus
ticket to the Dixie Pass section of the park. On September 6th, ranger Rich
Richotte and Slovakian VIP ranger Vlado Vancura found P.H.'s tent in
debris in Rock Creek near Dixie Pass. P.H.'s body was found at the
bottom of a ravine a half mile from the tent during a helicopter search of
the area. P.H. was killed when he fell about 300 feet while traversing a
scree slope. He was due to return to England on August 22nd to resume his
teaching career at a private boarding school in Shrewsbury, England. [Tim
Saskowsky, IC, WRST]
96-526 - New River Gorge (West Virginia) - Assist; Felony Arrest
On August 31st, Hinton Subdistrict rangers responded to calls for assistance
from state troopers who were pursuing C.K., 27, a fugitive from
Virginia. Although they were unable to catch him, a subsequent 911 call led
to the discovery of the vehicle, which was overturned near the boundary of
Bluestone NSR, managed by the park. A search for the driver that evening
proved fruitless. On Sunday, ranger Don Sledz spotted a man matching the
fugitive's description near a Corps of Engineers visitor center parking lot.
Neither state nor county units were available, so Sledz monitored his
movements until a commissioned ranger could arrive and detain C.K. pending
arrival and arrest by state troopers. C.K. had eluded Virginia and West
Virginia officers for 72 hours; he was wanted for theft of two vehicles and
for two armed robberies, and was considered armed and dangerous. [Duncan
Hollar, DR, NERI]
96-527 - Great Smokies (North Carolina/Tennessee) - MVA with Fatality
M.B., 25, of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, was killed in a motor
vehicle accident in the park around 3 a.m. on September 6th. M.B. was
traveling alone in his Pontiac Fiero when he hit a stone wall, overturned,
and skidded more than 80 feet. Excessive speed and alcohol are suspected as
contributing factors. Ranger Jerry Grubb is investigating. [Jason Houck,
CR, GRSM]
96-528 - New River Gorge (West Virginia) - Suicide
On the evening of September 22nd, K.L. apparently committed suicide by
jumping off the New River Gorge Bridge, landing in the river 876 feet below.
K.L.'s vehicle was found parked in the middle of the bridge and a suicide
note was found within it. Evidence found at the scene indicated that K.L.
took off his clothes, placed them in the back of the car, then jumped from
the bridge railing. Rangers and other emergency personnel conducted a hasty
search of the area on the evening of the 22nd, but were unable to find any
trace of K.L. A river search for the body began the following morning.
K.L.'s body was found a mile downstream from the bridge on the 24th. [Rick
Brown, DR, NERI]
[Additional reports pending....]
FIRE ACTIVITY
NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level III
LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY
Wed Thu % Est
State Unit Fire/Incident IMT 9/11 9/12 Con Con
OR Willamette NF Moolack Cx T2 11,735 11,735 90 CSS
Umpqua NF Spring T2 15,712 15,838 88 9/20
Malheur NF Phipps T2 25 29 99 9/12
MT Custer NF Shepard Mtn. T1 12,800 12,850 100 CND
Lewiston District * Alkali Creek -- - 1,200 0 9/16
ID Nez Perce NF Blackerby T2 354 1,010 80 9/14
WY Bridger-Teton NF Aspen Hollow T2 2,780 2,780 75 9/15
Big Horn NF Stockwell II T1 3,300 3,300 77 9/14
NV Carson City District Seal -- 3,000 3,000 100 CND
Humboldt NF Tom Basin -- 2,000 1,470 100 CND
State Frenchy Flat -- 25,385 31,200 100 CND
Toiyabe NF Can -- 200 250 70 9/13
Battle Mtn. District * Eureka -- - 400 25 9/13
AK Statewide 10 fires -- 342,723 342,723 -- LPS
NC Fort Bragg Hurricane Fran T1 Managing receiving and
distribution center
Heading Notes
Unit -- Agency = BIA area; NF = national forest; RU = CA state resource
or ranger unit; RD = state ranger district; District = BLM
district; NWR = USFWS wildlife refuge
Fire -- * = newly reported fire (on this report); Cx = complex; LSS =
limited suppression strategy; CSS = containment suppression
strategy
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; LPS = limited
protection status
NUMBER OF NEW FIRES (FIVE DAY TREND)
NPS BIA BLM FWS States USFS Total
Sunday, 9/8 3 6 21 0 33 26 89
Monday, 9/9 3 1 36 0 111 22 173
Tuesday, 9/10 1 2 43 1 54 28 129
Wednesday, 9/11 1 5 20 1 37 52 116
Thursday, 9/12 2 2 11 1 97 61 174
TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FIVE DAY TREND)
Crews Engines Helicopters Airtankers Overhead
Sunday, 9/8 254 196 87 8 1,479
Monday, 9/9 194 167 78 3 1,212
Tuesday. 9/10 137 157 79 3 1,075
Wednesday, 9/11 181 183 79 7 1,166
Thursday, 9/12 152 207 70 3 985
CURRENT SITUATION
Initial attack increased yesterday in the Great Basin, the Northwest and the
northern Rockies. Substantial progress was made in containing most large
fires due to lower temperatures and higher humidities. Resource mobilization
through NICC remained minimal.
NATIONAL OUTLOOK
No unusual conditions are forecast. Much of the West will be cooler and/or
moister.
[NICC Incident Management Situation Report]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Assistance Requested - The Forest Service is seeking assistance in tracking
down some stolen items. Some time on August 8th or 9th, one or more thieves
broke into the private/tribal Sierra Mono Museum in North Fork, California,
and stole between 50 and 100 native California Indian baskets and at least
one obsidian blade from display and storage areas. Photos and descriptions
of the items are available upon request. Contact the Madera County sheriff
or the museum at 209-877-2115 if you have any information. [Ann Melle, USFS,
RO5, via Mark Forbes, CCSSO]
MEMORANDA
No submissions.
EXCHANGE
No submissions.
Distribution of the Morning Report is through a mailing list managed by park,
office and/or field area cc:Mail hub coordinators. Please address requests
for the Morning Report to your servicing hub coordinator.
Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the cooperation and
support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.
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