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Subject: NPS Morning Report - Thursday, June 17, 1999
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Date: Thu, 17 Jun 1999 06:33:33 -0400
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Thursday, June 17, 1999
INCIDENTS
99-266 - Yosemite NP (CA) - Follow-up: Rockslide
A small slide occurred late Tuesday night in the same area as Sunday's rock
slide. There were no evacuations, but some guests reported being startled by
the sound of crashing rocks. A USGS geologist who has been studying Yosemite
rockslides for the past 20 years joined park staff in assessing the
probability of further slides. He reported that there were significant new
fractures on the wall Wednesday that hadn't been there during an assessment
made the previous day. The biggest was about 30 feet long and several inches
wide. He advised that this portion of the cliff could fill within a day or
two. Based on his recommendation, the park decided to keep the employee area
closed (it houses about 150 YCS employees in 75 tent cabins) and to close
another 75 guest cabins. The park has gone into a full ICS mode, with about
75 people brought in from other agencies. Current plans are to maintain the
closures and monitor the rock wall. Although media attention has waned a bit
since Sunday, the park has had between 600 and 700 press calls and contacts
over the past few days and three press conferences with 20 to 25 cameras at
each. [Scott Gediman, PIO, YOSE, 6/16]
99-268 - Glacier Bay NP&P (AK) - Follow-up: Vessel Grounding
The Wilderness Adventurer was refloated in Dundas Bay yesterday afternoon.
Tugs were able to pull the vessel off the rock at high tide. Crews were on
board the vessel yesterday evening to make a thorough assessment of the
vessel's stability. Coast Guard personnel will determine when the vessel is
ready for towing by barge. Once safely towed to port, the vessel will
undergo repairs. Both Hoonah and Seattle have been discussed as ports where
the ship may be towed. [Jane Tranel, IO, IMT, 6/16]
99-270 - Guilford Courthouse NMP (NC) - Death of Employee
Park historian Thomas Baker, 47, died of a heart attack in the early morning
hours of June 15th. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday at
Mount Pisgah United Methodist Church, 2600 Pisgah Church Road in Greensboro.
A celebration of his life will be held by friends and family in the church
fellowship hall after the service. Tom is survived by his wife D.
Cards may be sent to her. The
family has asked that memorials be made in lieu of flowers to the Guilford
Battleground Company, Tom Baker Memorial Fund, 2332 New Garden Road,
Greensboro, NC 27410. [Steve Ware, CVS, GUCO, 6/16]
99-271 - Blue Ridge Parkway (NC/VA) - Rockslide
A rockslide covered both lanes of the parkway near milepost 339 around 10:30
a.m. on June 15th. It blocked traffic from passing through a five mile
section of the road between Crab Tree Meadows and Little Switzerland. The
detour adds approximately 25 miles to a trip through the area. The slide is
comprised primarily of a single boulder with an estimated size of 3,000
square feet and an estimated weight of 18 tons. The extent of damage to the
road is unknown. Estimates on removal and costs are being prepared. No
injuries or damage to private property have been reported. [John Garrison,
Protection Specialist, BLRI, 6/16]
99-272 - Grand Canyon NP (AZ) - Memorial Day Weekend Rescues
On May 30th, the Sunday during Memorial Day weekend, rescue personnel at
Grand Canyon were kept busy responding to several rescues. The day began
with park personnel flying by park helicopter to the scene of a rescue from
the previous day at North Canyon. They conducted a follow-up on the
accident, in which a 50-year-old male passenger from a commercial river trip
had fallen 50 feet from a dry waterfall some distance from the group's
campsite. He had suffered internal bleeding, fractured vertebrae, and a
possible cranial bleed. The park then received a request for a medical
evacuation for a passenger on a research river trip who had sustained
fractures to bones in a thumb and hand. This was followed by a helicopter
evacuation of two backpackers from North Kaibab trail at Roaring Springs.
One suffered from hyponatremia (low sodium), the other from significant
dehydration. Neither had been able to hold down food or fluids for the
previous twelve or more hours. Next was a helicopter medevac for another
possible hyponatremia victim, this one from Three Mile Resthouse. When a
seven year-old female local resident subsequently suffered a femur fracture
in a bicycling accident, Guardian Air Ambulance was called in to the South
Rim helibase for the transport due to the volume of ongoing helicopter
operations. At 7:20 p.m., a satellite telephone call was received from a
commercial river trip, reporting that CPR was in progress on a 50-year-old
male drowning victim at mile 75 on the river. NPS Helicopter 210 was in the
process of being prepared for a less urgent evacuation from Indian Garden and
was reassigned to this operation. Paramedics Bill Reynolds and Phil Mennenoh
responded with helicopter manager Todd Opperman. There were two large
commercial river parties at the scene and total chaos reigned. The evacuation
necessitated a hazardous river raft crossing with resuscitation efforts
underway. Attempts to revive the patient continued in the helicopter, but
were eventually terminated following radio contact with Flagstaff Medical
Center. Extreme measures were taken by rescue personnel to resuscitate this
patient, which lead to exceeding daylight flight limitations. Personnel
aboard the helicopter found themselves flying out of the Inner Canyon in the
dark, and arrived back at the South Rim helibase at 8:30 p.m. Ranger Patrick
Flanagan was incident commander on these multiple incidents. [Ken Phillips,
SAR Coordinator, GRCA, 6/13]
99-273 - Lake Mead NRA (AZ/NV) - Memorial Day Weekend Incidents
Over 250,000 people visited the park over the three days of the Memorial Day
weekend. Rangers made 31 arrests and worked 37 medicals, 21 motor vehicle
accidents and 15 boat accidents, but there were no fatalities over the
weekend. Highlights from the weekend from the Boulder Basin District and
Mohave District include the following:
o A ranger stopped a vehicle for speeding on May 27th. The registration
did not match the vehicle; an identification number check revealed that
it was stolen out of Washington state. The driver was arrested for
possession of the stolen vehicle and for being under the influence.
The passenger was a suspect in campsite thefts at Government Wash and
was also taken into custody.
o After assisting Northshore rangers with a fight at Boxcar Cove on May
30th, rangers crossed paths with a felony robbery suspect from
Riverside, California. Authorities in Riverside had received a tip
that the subject was a frequent visitor to the lake and that he camped
in the backcountry. He was to be considered armed and dangerous, as he
had stated he was not going back to prison. He was taken into custody
without incident. His companion was a 13-year-old female.
o Rangers responded to the end of the right fork of Government Wash on
May 30th, where there was a report of a large group of people fighting.
Weapons were reportedly involved. At the same time, rangers had four
people in custody from an MVA, another being detained for disorderly
conduct, and a possible armed subject who was thought to be part of the
fugitive arrest. Upon arrival at the fight scene, members of the group
dispersed into different beach camps. Several people had been beaten
with two-by-fours, baseball bats, rocks, hands and feet. The fight
occurred after the victims refused to by drugs from the suspects, who
had been going from camp to camp attempting to sell narcotics. It was
reported that the suspects had fled to the extreme end of the right
fork, which was densely occupied. After arriving on scene, the
responding rangers realized that they were understaffed to perform a
safe and effective sweep of the area. All available rangers were
immediately called out, along with a police helicopter from Las Vegas
Metro. The area was sealed off, and a dozen rangers and a local
officer swept it to locate the suspects. Forty individuals were
removed from the area in a felony stop type of operation. Four were
eventually identified and taken into custody. The firearms that were
seen by numerous visitors were never located.
o A possible hate crime assault occurred in the houseboat boarding area
of the Back Bay on May 30th. A pickup with eight to ten Hispanic men
yelled obscenities at an Armenian group with children. The group
objected and a fight broke out. Two children and two women were
assaulted by the men, who then fled the scene.
o Two juvenile boys were the victims of a motor vehicle accident on the
South Swim Beach on the 30th. They were lying on a blanket behind a
parked vehicle in the parking area. A vehicle parked next to the boys
backed up, then headed forward, running over one of the boys and
striking the other. Both were transported to the UMC Trauma Center.
o The driver of a rental boat hit a Nevada Division of Wildlife (NDOW)
boat outside the harbor on the night of May 30th. The warden was not
injured. The boater had approached the warden with a question. While
trying to maneuver his boat in close, the operator added power when he
should have gone into reverse and struck the stern of the NDOW boat.
The boat operator was arrested for operating under the influence.
o Rangers working an MVA received a report of a drive-by shooting on
Northshore Drive on May 31st. The vehicles involved were located at
the Hemenway launch ramp, 12 miles from the scene of the incident.
Rangers and state game wardens made three high-risk vehicle stops. The
gun - a .45 ACP Ruger - was found in one of the vehicles. One of the
occupants of the vehicles admitted that he fired two shots in the air
while driving. He was arrested for firing from a motor vehicle and
having a loaded weapon.
[Paul Crawford, SPR, Boulder Basin District, LAME, 6/10]
99-274 - Dayton Aviation NHP (OH) - Burglary
A motion and sound alarm monitored by Midwest Protective Service was
activated at the park just after 6 a.m. on Sunday, June 13th. The service
notified police, the park, and a contracted security company; the latter
arrived at the building about five minutes later. The molding around a
window had been removed and the laminated glass broken to gain entry. Stolen
was a 103-year-old bicycle, once sold by the Wright Brothers, which has
wooden wheels and handlebars and cork hand grips. Also stolen from a glass
case was a kerosene bicycle lantern. The bicycle is owned by a private non-
profit organization which may have insured the bicycle. It appears that the
thief knew exactly what items he/she wanted to steal. An evidence technician
dusted for prints and processed the crime scene. Several local collectors of
bicycles and related items and the National Wheelman Organization have been
notified concerning the theft. A thief also stole a window air conditioning
unit on June 1st. There were a few attempted break-ins to the facility in
1996, but no other criminal activity until the two recent thefts. The park
is working with a Dayton police detective and a law enforcement ranger from
Hopewell Cultural NHP to address possible additional security measures at the
facility. [Robert Petersen, DAAV, 6/15]
99-275 - Blue Ridge Parkway (NC/VA) - MVA with Fatality
Ranger Cody Murphy responded to a report of a motorcycle accident on the
parkway on June 12th and found the cycle and the body of the operator, D.W.,
of Toronto, Canada, off a steep bank and out of view from the road.
It was evident that the accident had occurred three or four days previously.
D.W. had been traveling alone. Investigation revealed that he'd spent the
night of June 8th in Roanoke, Virginia. Rangers Don Reed, Hope Powers and
Jim Godwin assisted in the investigation. [John Garrison, Protection
Specialist, BLRI, 6/15]
FIRE ACTIVITY
NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II
LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY
Mon Tue % Est
State Unit Fire/Incident IMT 6/14 6/15 Con Con
AZ Grand Canyon NP Mt. Emma FUM 1,090 1,240 0 UNK
AK Yukon-Charlie NP * B242 -- - 1,500 0 UNK
* B248 -- - 800 0 UNK
* B260 -- - 500 0 UNK
* B227 -- - 50 0 UNK
Denali NP * B263 -- - 470 0 UNK
Ft. Greely Army Base Donnelly T1 6,000 13,820 0 UNK
Upper Yukon, BLM Minto T2 1,500 2,100 0 UNK
NM Gila NF Dolly -- 300 300 100 CND
NV Winnemucca FO Fairview -- 1,300 1,374 100 CND
Humboldt-Toiyabe NF * Peavine -- - 150 25 NR
OR Prineville FO Dead Dog -- 300 400 10 6/16
Heading Notes
Unit Agency = BIA area; NF = national forest; RU = CA state resource
or ranger unit; RD = state ranger district; FO = BLM field
office; 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; FUM = Fire Use
Management Team
% Con Percent of fire contained; UNK = unknown; NR = no report
Est Con Estimated containment date; NEC = no estimated date of
containment; CND = fully contained; NR = no report
FIRE NARRATIVES
Grand Canyon NP - The fire which was started by lightning on June 3rd, has
grown to 1,240 acres. Fire managers continue to monitor the weather and
other factors, hoping the fire will continue to move into acceptable areas.
Holding actions were required over the past few days along the western and
northern flanks to limit fire spread in the BLM's Mount Logan wilderness
area. The fire intensity also diminished within the park when it reached an
area that had previously burned in 1998. The reduced amount of fuel
available led directly to a reduction in fire intensity. [Scott Sticha, PIO]
Yukon-Charlie NP - The B242 fire is burning in a limited fire management area
between the Nation and Kandik Rivers. The fire, which has backed down to
Yukon River, has great potential to significantly increase in size by burning
to the east and north out of tundra into spruce. The B248 fire is burning in
black spruce. The B260 fire is burning predominantly in spruce, with some
patches of mixed hardwoods. The B227 fire was showing no smoke on June 14th,
but has not been checked since due to location, flight distance, and milder
burning conditions. [Marsha Lutz, Area FMO]
Denali NP&P - The B263 fire is burning in tundra and spruce stringer.
Several spot fires have occurred, increasing the possibility that the fire
may grow in size. [Jan Passek, Area FMO]
NUMBER OF NEW FIRES (FOUR DAY TREND)
NPS BIA BLM FWS States USFS Total
Saturday, 6/12 2 4 9 0 63 23 101
Sunday, 6/13 2 5 13 3 71 36 130
Monday, 6/14 2 126 15 1 181 27 352
Tuesday, 6/15 0 19 14 2 79 73 187
TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FOUR DAY TREND)
Crews Engines Helicopters Airtankers Overhead
Saturday, 6/12 69 131 28 1 238
Sunday, 6/13 71 54 29 0 341
Monday, 6/14 105 152 34 2 377
Tuesday, 6/15 104 126 33 0 361
CURRENT SITUATION
Large fires continued on Tuesday in Alaska, the Great Basin and the
Northwest. There was moderate initial attack in California, Great Basin and
Southwest, but negligible elsewhere.
Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Colorado, New Mexico,
Arizona, Texas, Utah and Nevada.
[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 6/16]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION
No entries.
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Basic Law Enforcement Training - FLETC has not been able to scheduled a third
NPS basic law enforcement course this year. The NPS hopes to schedule a
basic course for January, 2000; as soon as a definite date is known, it will
be made available through regional employee development offices and the
Learning Place bulletin board. If you have employees who need to attend,
please start now to assure completed BI's, PEB tests, physicals and drug
tests so that nominations can be processed quickly when course is announced
(sometimes on short notice).
Uniform Program - Ranger Activities is starting a scoping process that will
lead to the issuance of a new uniform contract next year. Your comments and
thoughts are invited on four specific aspects of the program:
o uniform items and their quality,
o appearance of uniform items,
o improved personal accountability, and
o service from the contractor.
In order to be considered, comments must cite one of the above issues and the
relevant chapter and section from NPS-43 (last issued in May, 1993). Send
comments by cc:Mail only to "Mabery_DC, Ken," with a copy to your regional
uniform coordinator. The subject line must read: "Uniform Program Scoping."
Comments must be submitted by COB on July 5th.
MEMORANDA
No entries.
INTERCHANGE
No entries.
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Scotts Bluff NM - Larry Reed is retiring on August 1st after 32 years in the
NPS. During his career, he served in Everglades NP, WASO, Arches NP, Rocky
Mountain NP, and, most recently, as superintendent of Scotts Bluff NM. There
will be a farewell for Larry and his wife Linda at the Elks Club in
Scottsbluff on the evening of July 24th. Anyone wishing to attend should
RSVP by June 28th to either Jeanne Weber or John Kacich at 308-436-4340. If
you'd like to send congratulatory notes, testimonials or other remembrances
for the book that will be presented to Larry and Linda, mail them to Scotts
Bluff National Monument, Post Office Box 27, Gering, Nebraska, 69341-0027.
* * * * *
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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