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Subject: NPS Morning Report - 9/10/98
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Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1998 10:32:12 -0400
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Thursday, September 10, 1998
INCIDENTS
98-575 - Suitland Parkway (MD) - Assault on Officer with Intent to Kill
On Wednesday, September 9th, a Park Police officer running radar on the
parkway stopped a vehicle for speeding. The male driver could not provide
proper ownership paperwork, and a backup officer responded to assist. As
both officers approached the vehicle, the driver fired a handgun, striking
the first officer in the torso. The bullet was stopped by his bullet
resistant vest. At least one officer returned fire, killing the driver. The
second officer was injured while moving to cover. Both were taken to the
Washington Hospital Center by Eagle 1, where they were treated and released.
Additional details are not yet available; they will be provided as soon as
they are received. [Henry Berberich, RLES, NCSO, 9/10]
98-576 - National Capital Parks (DC) - Rape; Assault on Officer
Park Police sergeant Peter Barrow was on patrol near Dupont Circle at 3:45
a.m. on September 7th when he was flagged down by a citizen who reported a
rape in progress in a nearby alley. Barrow found E.H. standing
over his female victim. E.H. turned and fled, but Barrow was able to
catch him. A violent struggle ensued in which E.H. told Barrow that he
was going to kill him. Barrow was able to strike E.H. with his
flashlight during the struggle. E.H. broke free; Barrow pursued and
caught him in another alley. E.H. again became combative, so Barrow
sprayed him with pepper spray. He was taken into custody after the pepper
spray took effect. The city's sex crimes unit is investigating. [Henry
Berberich, RLES, NCSO, 9/10]
98-577 - Olympic NP (WA) - Theft; Former Employee Arrested
On August 2nd, a Stihl chainsaw was reported missing from the Ozette ranger
station. Investigators subsequently contacted C.D., 23, a
former NPS employee, who confessed to the theft of the saw and numerous other
items taken from the park. During a consent search and later warrant search,
investigators recovered 87 items and groups of items with a cumulative value
of $11,124. C.D. has been indicted by a federal grand jury. The case is
now being processed by the U.S. attorney's office. [Mike Butler, CI, OLYM,
9/9]
98-578 - Yosemite NP (CA) - Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Four young adults camping in the Bridalveil campground became chilled by
unseasonable weather on September 6th and decided to move their small
charcoal grill inside their tent. Carbon monoxide levels increased inside
the tent until one of the occupants recognized the problem and called 911.
When ranger Kelly Roche arrived, C.G., 20, had been unconscious
for about ten minutes; he began convulsing, vomiting and exhibited an altered
level of consciousness. C.G. was given oxygen and taken to the park
clinic by paramedic ambulance. He was kept on oxygen for five hours, then
released. The remaining three campers also suffered some effects from the
monoxide poisoning. [Kevin McMillan, Acting DR, Wawona District, YOSE, 9/9]
98-579 - Channel Islands NP (CA) - ARPA Conviction
On March 11, 1997, R.B., 57, his wife, and his brother-in-law,
Thomas Butte, landed in their private plane on Santa Rosa Island, which is
part of the park. R.B., a United Airlines pilot and former park volunteer,
had visited the island frequently over the past twenty years. The B.s
and Butte walked from the airstrip to an archeological site and dug two
holes, disinterring the prehistoric human remains of three individuals. They
then walked to another archeological site, where R.B. took an abalone shell
that was later determined to be 6,300 years old. Rangers and Los Angeles
police officers subsequently served a search warrant on the B. residence
in Pacific Palisades and seized photographs, videotape, journals and notes
documenting these activities. On July 20th, R.B. pled guilty to one
misdemeanor ARPA count. He was fined $2,500, ordered to pay the park $3,100
in restitution, placed on probation for a year, and required to formally
apologize to the Chumash tribal council. As part of his probation, he is
banned from entering the park for a year. Butte, who is suffering from a
terminal illness, has also written a letter of apology to the Chumash. Park
staff from Channel Islands NP, Santa Monica Mountains NRA, and Joshua Tree NP
participated in the investigation. The remains will be repatriated to the
nearest lineal Chumash descendants by park archeologist Don Morris in the
near future. The restitution will pay for the estimated costs of the
repatriation. ARPA funding was used to investigate and prosecute this case.
[Todd Swain, CI, JOTR, and Jack Fitzgerald, CR, CHIS, 9/9]
98-580 - Grand Canyon NP (AZ) - Falling Fatality
On September 6th, G.S., 32, of Hungary, fell to his death from
Bright Angel Point on the North Rim. G.s. had arrived in the United
States on September 1st and was visiting national parks with two friends. He
stepped off the trail to a rock ledge, then fell about 250 feet. The cause
of the fall has not been determined. An investigation is underway. Ron
Martin was IC. [GRCA, 9/9]
98-581 - Glen Canyon NRA (AZ/UT) - PWC Accident; Drowning
J.H., 34, of Rancho Mirage, California, and a friend left their
campsite in Anasazi Canyon on separate personal watercraft (PWCs) around
midnight on September 3rd. J.H. failed to return from the trip. Friends
began searching for him and found his PWC about a quarter mile from the
campsite around 7 a.m. They called for assistance through a visitor with a
marine band radio. Rangers Pete Dalton and Mark Henderson responded.
Henderson found and recovered J.H.'s body from about six feet of water. He
had sustained head injuries and there was damage to his PWC. [David
Sandbakken, Acting CR, GLCA, 9/4]
98-582 - Glen Canyon NRA (AZ/UT) - Drowning
D.E., a 10-year-old girl from Durango, Colorado, drowned on the
afternoon of September 6th when she fell into flash flood waters in Ice Cream
Canyon. She was standing about 15 feet above the flood waters with her
brother when the sandstone rock beneath her sloughed away, causing her to
lose her footing. Her 12-year-old brother jumped in to attempt a rescue, but
the force of the water and debris swept him away with his sister. The girl
was found by her uncle within 15 minutes; she was in six feet of water under
a large pile of debris. CPR was begun by family members and nearby campers.
Staff from Aramark Concession Services were first on scene with a physician
who continued CPR efforts, but they were unable to revive her. Rangers Jim
Traub and Jay Drinkwater also responded and set up a landing zone for the
medevac helicopter. [David Sandbakken, Acting CR, GLCA, 9/4]
98-583 - Lake Mead NRA (AZ/NV) - Drowning
On September 7th, L.C., 70, of Bullhead City, Arizona, dove into Lake
Mohave from the back of a friend's boat. He surfaced, yelled for help,
struggled to stay afloat, then went under. His body was later recovered.
This was the park's 34th fatality this year. [Jan Kirwan, LAME, 9/8]
[Additional reports pending...]
FIRE ACTIVITY
NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level III
LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY
Tue Wed % Est
State Unit Fire/Incident IMT 9/8 9/9 Con Con
MT Glacier NP Kootenai Cx FUT 9,662 9,700 0 NEC
Bitterroot NF West Fork Fires FUT 8,937 8,937 0 NEC
Bitterroot Cx T1 4,090 4,090 95 9/10
Flathead NF Challenge T1 9,000 9,000 50 9/14
Bowl T2 3,000 3,072 90 9/10
Bob Marshall Cx -- 791 791 NR NR
Kootenai NF Dome T1 3,340 3,340 80 9/10
Kopsi Creek T2 1,060 1,060 60 9/13
Lolo NF Boulder Lake T2 220 220 95 9/10
Gilbert Creek T2 1,760 1,780 100 CND
State Boyer T2 6,500 6,500 100 CND
* Burnt Shed -- - 5,000 0 9/10
Miles City District * Trumbo -- - 1,300 90 9/10
ID Nez Perce NF Moose Cx FUT 6,766 7,146 0 NEC
Spruce -- 530 530 0 NEC
Salmon-Challis NF Main Salmon Cx FUT 21,610 21,610 0 10/15
TX State Turtle Hole -- 2,800 2,800 100 CND
Cement -- 150 150 100 CND
Ward -- 300 300 100 CND
Hill -- 100 100 35 9/10
Potosi -- 75 75 100 CND
Midget -- 150 150 100 CND
* Reststop -- - 500 70 9/10
* Pleasant View -- - 100 50 9/10
* Danville -- - 100 60 9/10
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; FUT = Interagency
Fire Use Management 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
Sunday, 9/6 3 2 8 0 97 59 169
Monday, 9/7 3 4 18 0 115 95 235
Tuesday, 9/8 1 1 4 0 161 51 218
Wednesday, 9/9 0 5 27 0 113 48 193
TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FOUR DAY TREND)
Crews Engines Helicopters Airtankers Overhead
Sunday, 9/6 255 413 110 6 1,720
Monday, 9/7 290 347 111 11 1,690
Tuesday, 9/8 175 283 83 4 1,708
Wednesday, 9/9 146 282 70 2 1,491
CURRENT SITUATION
Fire activity continued yesterday in the South. Cloudy, rainy weather in the
northern Rockies helped firefighters make progress on fires there.
Very high and extreme fire indices were reported yesterday in Texas, Arizona,
Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska.
No fire watches or warnings have been posted for today.
[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 9/10]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION
No entries.
PARK DISPATCHES
No entries.
OPERATIONAL NOTES
No entries.
MEMORANDA
No entries.
INTERCHANGE
No entries.
* * * * *
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Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the cooperation and
support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.
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