NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                               MORNING REPORT

To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Thursday, August 26, 1999

INCIDENTS

98-309 - Great Smoky Mountains (NC/TN) - Follow-up: Death of Ranger

J.L. has been sentenced to a mandatory life term in prison with no
chance of parole for the 1998 murder of ranger Joe Kolodski.  AUSA Jerry
Miller also successfully argued that J.L. should be held financially
responsible for the loss of future income to the Kolodski family.  The
monetary calculation was based on Kolodski's anticipated earnings until
retirement.  J.L. was ordered to pay $900,000, which also includes funeral
and defense attorney expenses.  The money will be taken from the per capita
payments J.L. receives from the reservation's casino operations, but it's
nonetheless unlikely that full restitution will ever be made.  This may be
the first time that restitution of this type has been granted by a criminal
court for loss of future wages.  Defense attorneys said that they intended to
appeal both the conviction and the sentence.  The Kolodski family and staff
at Great Smoky Mountains NP and Blue Ridge Parkway would like to extend their
deep appreciation for everyone's support during this tragedy.  [John Mattox,
CI, GRSM, 8/25]

FIRE ACTIVITY

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level III

The preparedness level has gone up one step.  Preparedness Level III goes
into effect when the following conditions are met: Two or more geographic
areas experiencing incidents requiring a major  commitment of national
resources.  High number of fires becoming Class D and larger.  Additional
resources are being ordered and mobilized through NICC.  Type 1 teams are
committed in two or more areas, or 300 crews are committed nationally.

LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY 

                                                     Mon      Tue    %  Est
State      Unit              Fire/Incident   IMT     8/23     8/24  Con Con
 
CA    Yosemite NP            South Park Cx   FUM      362      482  UNK UNK
                             North Park Cx   FUM    2,700    5,280  UNK UNK
      Stanislaus NF          Carmoke         FUM      443      511    0 UNK
                             Pilot            T1      650    1,100   50 UNK
      Lassen-Modoc RU        Willow           ST    1,000    4,100   20 UNK
                             L-M Lightning Cx --      400      400   90 UNK
      Butte RU               Butte RU Cx      ST    3,500    3,500  UNK UNK
      Tehama Glen RU         Tehama Glen Cx   --    8,000   10,500   75 UNK
      Shasta Trinity RU      Shasta-Trin. Cx  ST    1,000    1,275   16 UNK
      Modoc NF               Yellow-Pine Cx   T2    6,200    6,000    0 UNK
                           * Chandler         --        -      100  100 CND 
      Plumas NF            * MHRD Cx          T1        -      500   10 UNK
                           * FRRD Cx          T1        -      900   20 UNK
      Shasta-Trinity NF    * High Cx          T2        -      550   10 UNK
                           * Big Bar Cx       T2        -      125  UNK UNK

NV    Winnemucca FO          Dido Cx          T2   16,250   16,250   90 8/25
                             Tungsten         --    1,200    4,000  100 CND 
      Carson City District   Fish Cx          --    2,000   18,000   25 8/27
                           * Red Rock         T2        -    4,500   15 8/27
      Elko FO                Izzenhood Ranch  --    1,000    1,000  100 CND 
      Battle Mountain FO     Davis            --      500      500  100 CND 

OR    Burns District         Rock Creek       --    3,000    3,500  100 CND 
                             Reichens Corner  --      300      350  100 CND 
                             Windy Point      --      200      350  100 CND 
                             Jack Mountain    --      300      300  100 CND 
      Prineville District  * Buck Creek       --        -    1,100   70 8/25
      Sheldon-Hart NWR     * Badger           --        -    5,000    0 UNK 

TX    State                * Knox             --        -      450   50 8/25

OK    State                * Springtown       --        -      700    0 UNK

ID    Lower Snake District   Middle Butte     --    6,000    8,000  100 -  
                             West Shoofly     --    2,000    2,000   50 8/25

UT    Cedar City FO        * Silent           --        -    2,100   75 8/26

                                  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; LR = last report unless significant activity occurs

FIRE NARRATIVES

Yosemite NP - There have been some minor trail closures due to fires burning
in the park.  The Pilot Fire in the Stanislaus NF closed California 120
outside the park for a while on Tuesday, while a sewage spill closed
California 140 at El Portal for a while.  

Lassen Volcanic NP - Significant progress was made Tuesday on three fires
detected Monday.  Two were reported controlled and the third had been
checked.

NUMBER OF NEW FIRES (FOUR DAY TREND)

                    NPS    BIA      BLM     FWS    States   USFS     Total

Saturday, 8/21       1      8        19       0      101     59       188
Sunday, 8/22         2      6        23       0       65     52       148
Monday, 8/23         9      9        87       0      354    263       722
Tuesday, 8/24        3      5        72       2      367    150       599

TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FOUR DAY TREND) 

                  Crews     Engines    Helicopters    Airtankers   Overhead

Saturday, 8/21      90        225          44             1           328
Sunday, 8/22        98        207          51             2           683
Monday, 8/23       222        479          78            16           791
Tuesday, 8/24      304        672          94            14         1,086

CURRENT SITUATION

Major initial attack activity and large fires were reported in the Northeast
and California on Tuesday; moderate initial attack was reported in most other
areas.  Large fires in Nevada and California have depleted most local
resources.  Mobilization from NICC was high.  

Very high to extreme fire indices were reported Oregon, Washington,
California, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, South Dakota, Wyoming, Oklahoma and
Texas.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 8/25; Mike Warren, NPS FPMC,
8/25]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, PROTECTION AND EDUCATION 

No entries.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No entries.

MEMORANDA

No entries.

INTERCHANGE

No entries.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

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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