- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Friday, June 26, 1998
- Date: Fri, 26 Jun 1998
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Friday, June 26, 1998
*** NOTICE ***
Flags lowered to half staff in memory of ranger Joe Kolodski will remain at
half staff through Monday, when his interment will take place in
Pennsylvania, and will return to full staff on Tuesday morning. Black bands
may also be worn on badges until the interment.
INCIDENTS
98-243 - Hovenweep NM (CO) - Follow-up: Search for Felons
The FBI and Colorado Bureau of Investigation continue to gather intelligence
on fugitives Jason McVean and Alan Pilon. Among the items seized during the
execution of search warrants at properties they've frequented have been area
maps. One spans an area from Creede, Colorado, west to the community of
Escalante, Utah, south to Page, Arizona, and east to Chaco Canyon. Drainages
and mountain tops are highlighted. Hovenweep and two sites in Glen Canyon
NRA - Halls Crossing and Bullfrog - are noted by name on the key to the
numbers which appear at different locations on the map. The two remaining
rangers brought in to provide additional security at Hovenweep and Natural
Bridges NM will be demobilized next Tuesday. The San Juan County deputy who
was shot on June 4th is at home. His recovery is going well. [Larry Van
Slyke, CR, Southeast Utah Group, 6/25]
98-290 - Yosemite NP (CA) - Follow-up: Closures
Emergency repairs to the section of road undermined by high river runoff were
completed on Thursday, June 18th. Highways 120 and 140 were accordingly
reopened to travel that evening. A section of the El Portal road at the west
end of Yosemite Valley and just east of the intersection with Big Oak Flat
road was closed on Monday, though, when a 100-foot section was undermined by
the Merced River. This same section of roadway was temporarily repaired
after being damaged during the January, 1997, flood. FHWA engineers examined
the site on Tuesday, and a contractor began stabilizing the river bank,
replacing the roadbed and repaving the damaged area that night. Permanent
repairs will be made this fall. [Scott Gediman, Al Nash, PIOs, YOSE, 6/22]
98-314 - North Cascades NP (WA) - Search and Rescue
On Tuesday, June 23rd, rangers began a search for C.J., 37, of
Kirkland, Washington, and N.J. (no relation), 44, of Everett,
Washington, when they failed to return from a three-day climb of Eldorado
Peak. Rangers Craig Brouwer and Joshua Porter retraced their planned route
from the Hidden Lake Peak trailhead towards the peak and located the pair
just before 8 a.m. the following morning at the mountain's 6,500-foot
elevation. Both had suffered minor injuries in a glissading fall on Sunday,
then were delayed by flu, nausea, near freezing rainy weather, and poor
visibility. They were able to walk out on their own with assistance from the
rangers. A total of 15 NPS employees were involved in the rescue. [Galen
Stark, NOCA, 6/24]
98-315 - Big Bend NP (TX) - Rape of Concession Employee
Rangers received a report of a rape of an 18-year-old concession employee on
June 15th. The incident had occurred at 2 a.m. that morning. The FBI was
notified, and two agents from the Midland office came to the park and
assisted with the investigation. The suspect in the incident, O.L.F.,
33, is also a concession employee. O.L.F. has family and ties in
Mexico, and he left the park and crossed the border shortly after the
incident. An arrest warrant was issued for him on June 17th. He's believed
to still be in Mexico, attempting to avoid arrest and possible prosecution.
The investigation is continuing and assistance from Mexican authorities will
be requested if he does not return to the United States. O.L.F. is a U.S.
citizen. [Bill Wright, BIBE, 6/19]
98-316 - Saratoga NHP (NY) - Assist; Tornadoes
A series of tornadoes struck the town of Stillwater and the city of
Mechanicsville on the afternoon of May 31st. Rangers Trevor Smith, Bob
Swatling and Walter Hardy anticipated the storms' arrival and began closing
the park and evacuating visitors. While walking the Wilkenson trail, Smith
came upon a family of four who were lost on the trail. Rain, hail and wind
gusts up to 50 mph had caught them without warning and reduced visibility to
zero. Smith escorted them out. Shortly thereafter, the state police issued
an urgent request to area law enforcement and emergency service organizations
to respond to the Mechanicsville area, where an F3 tornado had caused major
damage. All power was out and early estimates were that 20 or more homes had
been completely destroyed. Rangers responded and worked with state troopers
in closing off Route 4 while other units were evacuating the city. A second
tornado, rated between F1 and F2, struck in the area where the rangers were
assigned around 8 p.m. Although property damage was severe, there were no
deaths and only minimal personal injury. During the following week, rangers
assisted local police by surveying other town roads for property damage and
responding to other requests from incident command. Park maintenance
employees helped clear downed trees and vegetation from roads adjacent to the
park and elsewhere. The area was declared a disaster area by the governor,
and National Guard troops were called in to facilitate the cleanup. The park
suffered only minimal damage. [Jim Gorman, CR, SARA, 6/9 - Note: The text of
this and the next incident were inadvertently misplaced, hence the delay in
inclusion in the MR]
98-317 - Saratoga NHP (NY) - Assist; Search and Capture of Escapees
On June 2nd, rangers were advised that three youths in the custody of Tyron
Residential Center in Johnstown had escaped into the park. The school deals
with boys with behavioral problems who have been convicted of unidentified
felonies. The group had been on a supervised bike trip in the park when the
three escaped. Rangers and state police conducted a thorough search of the
area with dogs and a helicopter. The boys were located behind an abandoned
farmhouse along the Hudson River in Stillwater four hours later. They were
taken into custody, charged with felony counts of second-degree escape, and
returned to the center. [Jim Gorman, CR, SARA, 6/9]
98-318 - Curecanti NRA (CO) - Assist; Search and Capture of Escapees
On June 21st, rangers were asked to assist in investigating a report of two
suspicious men in camouflage clothing along Highway 50 west of the park. The
men were reported to be armed, hiding in trees along the highway, and
throwing objects at passing cars. Rangers Jack Lisco, Meghan Hall and Ned
Kelleher responded. The two men were found and identified as escaped felons
from a local detention center. They were taken into custody by rangers and
sheriff's department officers without incident. [Kinsey Shilling, CR, CURE,
6/22]
98-319 - Coronado NM (AZ) - Vehicle Arson
A 1986 Dodge Colt which had been disabled by multiple tire flats and left at
the Montezuma Pass parking area was burned by arsonists around 7 p.m. on June
22nd. The vehicle was a total loss. The fire burned several parking area
posts and rails but was contained before spreading into vegetation. An
investigation is being conducted by state arson investigators. The vehicle's
owner returned with replacement tires around 10 p.m., just as an investigator
was completing his initial assessment. The vehicle was not insured. [Phil
Young, CORO, 6/23]
98-320 - New River Gorge NR (WV) - Search; Probable Drowning
Rangers are searching for a 31-year-old local man who disappeared in the New
River near Army Camp on the evening of June 24th. A multi-agency search was
underway at the time of the report. There have been three other drownings at
this location over the last eight years. [Bill Blake, CR, NERI, 6/24]
[Additional reports pending...]
FIRE ACTIVITY
NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II
LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY
Wed Thu % Est
State Unit Fire/Incident IMT 6/24 6/25 Con Con
FL Merritt Island NWR Merritt Island Cx -- 4,300 4,300 80 NEC
Osceola NF Oak Head T1 18,700 19,500 65 6/29
State Suwanee Cx T1 15,364 15,364 98 7/15
Bunnell Cx ST 25,000 36,000 UNK NEC
SC State * Horse Savannah -- - 800 75 6/25
TX State Paducah Cx T2 11,647 14,483 75 6/26
* Border -- - 110 100 CND
* Palo Duro -- - 1,100 NR NR
CO Pike-San Isabel NF * Cimarron Cx -- - 400 70 6/26
AZ Coconino NF Sand Fire -- 240 240 100 CND
NM Gila NF El Caso -- 400 400 100 CND
Roswell District * Beason -- - 400 100 CND
WA Spokane District Saddle Mountain -- 5,120 5,120 100 CND
UT Cedar City District Pahcoon -- 6,000 6.363 100 CND
AK Fort Greely Carla Lake T2 60,520 60,520 60 NEC
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
IMT T1 = Type I; T2 = Type II; ST = State Team
% Con Percent of fire contained; UNK = unknown
Est Con Estimated containment date; NEC = no estimated date of
containment; CND = fully contained; NR = no report
NUMBER OF NEW FIRES (FOUR DAY TREND)
NPS BIA BLM FWS States USFS Total
Monday, 6/22 0 3 7 0 140 33 183
Tuesday, 6/23 0 21 3 0 200 26 250
Wednesday, 6/24 0 17 7 0 140 35 199
Thursday, 6/25 0 12 5 0 161 28 206
TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FOUR DAY TREND)
Crews Engines Helicopters Airtankers Overhead
Monday, 6/22 34 142 33 8 460
Tuesday, 6/23 47 159 45 15 419 @
Wednesday, 6/24 74 221 42 20 510 @
Thursday, 6/25 57 196 39 19 675 @
@ Resource commitments were not reported on most state fires in Florida.
CURRENT SITUATION
Both initial attack and large fire activity increased yesterday in the Rocky
Mountains and the South. There was little activity elsewhere.
Very high to extreme fire indices were reported yesterday in units in
Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado,
Utah, Nevada, and southern California.
NICC has posted a FIRE WEATHER WATCH for dry and windy conditions in northern
Arizona.
[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 6/26]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
No entries.
OPERATIONAL NOTES
No entries.
MEMORANDA
"'Review of National Fire, Aviation and Emergency Response' Report", signed
by the associate director for park operations and education and sent to the
deputy chief ranger, Branch of Fire and Aviation Management, Ranger
Activities Division. In order to obtain a copy of the referenced report,
send a cc:Mail message to FIRE Director at NP-FIRE and enter the following
words on the subject line: National Fire Review. Do not send a message.
The text of the memorandum follows.
"Attached is a final copy of the subject report, dated May 18, 1998. I am
approving all recommendations in the report indicated by the symbol and
additionally enumerated as follows:
1.1.1
1.2.1 1.2.2 1.4.1 1.5.1-5
1.6.1-2 1.7.1-3 1.8.1 2.1.1-4
2.2.1 2.3.1 3.1.1-5 3.2.1
3.3.2 3.4.1-3 3.5.1-4 3.6.1-3
3.7.2 3.8.1 4.2.1 4.3.1
5.1.1 5.3.1 6.6.1 7.1.1
7.2.1 7.3.1 7.4.1 8.1.1-2
8.2.1 9.1.1-6 10.1.1
"You are authorized to proceed with implementation of these recommendations,
consistent with any applicable funding and staffing constraints.
"I am reserving approval and action on the remaining recommendations until we
have had further discussion and deliberation on those issues presented and
solutions recommended.
"Thank you for initiating this review. I believe it will greatly improve our
effectiveness and the service for which the Program Center has already come
to be known."
EXCHANGE
No entries.
* * * * *
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
pertaining to receipt of 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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