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Subject: NPS Morning Report - Thursday, August 12, 1999
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Date: Thu, 12 Aug 1999 09:24:29 -0400
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Thursday, August 12, 1999
INCIDENTS
99-343 - Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity NRA (CA) - Follow-up: Tanker Spill
On July 4th, rangers and park staff responded to a gasoline tanker explosion
on Highway 299 which forced the closure of the road for about four hours. A
pair of dual tires on the trailer blew out and the trailer overturned and
slid down the highway sideways, engulfed in flames. The tanker fire started
a vegetation fire that was put out almost immediately by four helicopters
equipped with water buckets. The tanker was carrying 7,600 gallons of diesel
fuel. The fuel was allowed to burn out, but an unknown quantity got into the
soil and ultimately reached Clear Creek. That creek is the major natural
drainage entering Whiskeytown Lake, which in turn serves as the municipal
water supply for much of the Redding metropolitan area. Over 100 cubic yards
of contaminated soil were removed from the site by the end of July, with
another several hundred yards of uncontaminated overburden scheduled for
removal to gain access to the contaminated soil beneath. The contamination
plume had also entered a highly fractured bedrock layer which couldn't be
reached by conventional equipment. The incident was being managed under a
unified command, with the California Highway Patrol in the lead. Violations
of the Clean Water Act were underway. [Alan Foster, SA and NPS IC, WHIS,
7/28]
99-448 - Dinosaur NM (CO/UT) - Flash Flood
A severe thunderstorm passed over the park on the afternoon of Friday, July
30th. A twister was reported from the fire lookout, but caused no reported
damage. The headquarters area received four-tenths of an inch of rain in 20
minutes, but even more fell on the area north of headquarters. Flash
flooding occurred along Harpers Corner Road at Plug Hat Butte and at
headquarters, along Echo Park Road at the low water bridges for Pool Creek,
along Cub Creek Road near Josie Morris Cabin, and along Highway 40. Roads
were closed for about two hours. Park staff employed ATV's to check on
campers at Echo Park and found that all were okay. One family in a two-
wheel-drive vehicle elected to spend the night in their stuck vehicle along
the Yampa Bench Road and wait for the road to dry out. The headquarters
visitor center was closed on Saturday while park crews removed debris from
the parking area. The Cold Desert Interpretive Trail was destroyed and may
now become the Flash Flood Trail. Road damage was still being assessed at
the time of the report. [Dave Panebaker, CR, DINO, 8/3]
99-449 - Death Valley NP (CA) - Suicide
On the morning of August 2nd, California Highway Patrol officers advised that
they'd discovered a suicide victim in the park near California Highway 190.
A rental vehicle was found parked on the road shoulder at a scenic location
overlooking Death Valley. The victim inside was identified as S.G.,
24, of Austin, Texas. He had died from a self-inflicted 9mm gunshot wound to
his head; a recently purchased 9mm Beretta was located nearby. The county
sheriff's office is investigating. [Ed Derobertis, PR, DEVA, 8/3]
99-450 - Redwood N&SP (CA) - MVA with Multiple Injuries
Rangers from both districts and the park's fire crew and engine were
dispatched to a two-car rollover accident with six victims on Highway 101 on
July 25th. Patient triage was completed and all victims were treated and
transported by two ambulances to two area hospitals. Injured were two
children (ages 10 and 14) and four adults. Injuries included severe
fractures, abdominal wall injury, lacerations and bruises. The children had
the most severe injuries; the adults were treated and released. The
California Highway Patrol is investigating. [Bob Martin, CR, REDW, 7/27]
99-451 - Oklahoma City NM (OK) - Special Event
Vice president Gore's wife, Tipper, visited the park on the afternoon of
August 4th. She toured the site with the superintendent, the chairman of the
memorial trust, and the mother of one of the victims. Gore paused for a
moment of prayer, then placed a wreath on the original fence, which has many
items, photos and documents attached to it in remembrance of the 168 victims.
Construction of the memorial is well underway, with the entrance gates in
place and sections of the orchard planted. The project is on schedule for
dedication on the fifth anniversary of the bombing next April. Park staff
assisted Secret Service agents and city police with the management of the
visit. Local media interest was high. [Mark Foust, CR, OKCI, 8/4]
FIRE ACTIVITY
NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level III
LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY
Mon Tue % Est
State Unit Fire/Incident IMT 8/9 8/10 Con Con
NV Winnemucca FO Dun Glenn Cx T2 361,658 361,658 100 CND
Battle Mtn. FO Battle Mtn. Cx T2 164,097 156,958 100 CND
Eureka Cx -- 75,000 82,000 60 8/12
Elko FO Sadler Cx T1 297,000 209,500 70 8/12
East Canyon -- 800 800 50 8/11
Carson City FO New Pass Cx T2 74,900 74,900 100 CND
WA Wenatchee NF Lk. Wenatchee Cx T2 80 80 90 8/11
ID Salmon/Challis NF Soldier FUM 2,433 2,438 0 -
Lower Snake District Deer Creek -- 2,000 2,000 100 CND
Upper Snake District I-86, MP 4 -- 500 500 100 CND
Payette NF Ramey FUM 350 350 0 UNK
Sawtooth NF * Scott Creek FUM - 123 0 UNK
CA Modoc NF Sheep -- 500 676 100 CND
MT State Pine Ridge -- 2,200 3,850 80 8/11
Allen Creek -- 1,000 1,200 100 CND
NY State Black Bear Mtn. -- 750 900 NR NR
Heading Notes
Unit Agency or Area Office = BIA area; NF = national forest; RU = CA
state resource or ranger unit; RD = state ranger district; FO =
BLM field office; District = BLM district; NWR = USFWS wildlife
refuge
Fire * = newly reported fire (on this report); Cx = complex
IMT T1 = Type I Team; T2 = Type II Team; T3 = Type III Team; 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; UNK = unknown; NR = no report
NUMBER OF NEW FIRES (FOUR DAY TREND)
NPS BIA BLM FWS States USFS Total
Saturday, 8/7 7 11 20 0 55 117 210
Sunday, 8/8 4 6 20 0 71 102 203
Monday, 8/9 2 3 13 0 369 82 469
Tuesday, 8/10 9 2 12 0 114 138 275
TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FOUR DAY TREND)
Crews Engines Helicopters Airtankers Overhead
Saturday, 8/7 174 393 68 1 748
Sunday, 8/8 190 338 71 1 805
Monday, 8/9 155 281 60 0 860
Tuesday, 8/10 159 312 61 1 885
CURRENT SITUATION
Significant progress was made on fires in the Great Basin on Tuesday.
Initial attack was reported in the northern Rockies, Northwest, California
and eastern Great Basin.
Very high fire indices were reported in southern California, the northern
Rockies, the Great Basin and in the East; extreme indices were reported in
the Northwest and in New Jersey.
[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 8/11]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION
Reports pending...
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Reports pending...
MEMORANDA
Reports pending...
INTERCHANGE
No entries.
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Reports pending...
* * * * *
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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