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Subject: NPS Morning Report - Friday, August 27, 1999
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Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1999 08:59:18 -0400
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Friday, August 27, 1999
INCIDENTS
99-459 - Redwood N&SP (CA) - Follow-up: Homicide
The identity of the murder victim found in the Lost Man Creek area of the
park on August 15th has been established. He was D.S., 43, of
Euclid, Ohio. D.S., a postal worker in Cleveland, was bludgeoned and died
of head injuries. D.S. arrived in Seattle by plane on August 9th, where
he rented a black Isuzu Trooper sport utility vehicle (license plate 816 KFL)
and headed off on a vacation in the Northwest. Investigators haven't yet
been able to determine his exact route. Neither the Isuzu nor D.S.'s
camping equipment and personal belongings have yet been found. National
parks and cooperating agencies in the Northwest are asked to check their
campground reservation lists, visitor center registers, radio logs, and
similar documents for the period from August 9th to the 15th to determine if
D.S. may have visited their area or park. If you have any relevant
information, contact chief ranger Bob Martin at 707-464-6101 extension 5050.
Rangers have stepped up patrols and are working with county investigators,
who are leading the investigation into D.S.'s death. [Bob Martin, CR,
REDW, 8/24]
99-517 - New River Gorge NR (WV) - Assault with Deadly Weapon
West Virginia State Police troopers responded to a report of shots fired in
the New Camp area adjacent to the park's boundary just before midnight on
August 18th. Troopers found that six bail bondsmen dressed in camouflage
clothing had attempted to stop a vehicle on the Kaymore road. The vehicle
matched the description of one thought to be driven by R.M.,
wanted for jumping bail on a misdemeanor DUI charge. The vehicle sped by the
bail bondsmen's roadblock, and, according to the bail bondsmen, someone
inside fired a shot. They returned fire, attempting to shoot out the tires.
After taking statements, the troopers released the bail bondsmen and
attempted to contact witnesses. Shots were then heard coming from the
Kaymore trailhead parking area within the park. The troopers responded and
found that the bail bondsmen had found the suspect vehicle and tried to stop
it a second time. When the vehicle refused to stop, they again shot at it,
striking it several times in the trunk and rear window. Further
investigation revealed that the suspect vehicle was operated by D.M. and
B.M., brothers of R.M. The suspect, R.M., was not in the area. The
second shooting incident occurred within 150 feet of a private
campground located adjacent to the park boundary. No one was injured in
either of the shootings. On August 20th, troopers arrested three bail
bondsmen - L.D.M., E.J.R. and F.H.B. - on charges of wanton
endangerment. A joint state police/NPS investigation is underway.
Additional federal charges may be filed in the incident. [Rick Brown,
Protection Operations Leader, NERI, 8/22]
99-518 - Gates of the Arctic NP&P (AK) - Downed Aircraft; Rescue
The park received a call from the Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) in
Anchorage regarding an ELT signal in the park on the afternoon of August
21st. Searchers were unable to find the signal's source at the reported
location during the first day of the search. On the second day, the signal
appeared again, and seasonal pilot Buster Points and ranger Al Smith were
sent to the scene in the park's Supercub. Points employed the plane's
directional finder to locate the wreck, which was about five-and-a-half miles
west of the reported ELT signal. The plane had crashed into the side of a
mountain at an altitude of around 5,000 feet in a small valley 15 miles west
of Atigun Pass in the Brooks Range. Closer inspection led to the discovery
of two survivors about two miles away from the wreckage. A message was
dropped to them to check on their situation. The two men - D.K. and C.K.
of Anchorage - indicated that they did not need food or medical
attention. A helicopter picked them up. The K. had been sheep hunting
in the Itkillick Preserve area of the park. While en route to Bettles, they
lost their way, made a wrong turn, and crashed into the mountain in poor
visibility. Neither was injured, and they had adequate survival gear and
food to last several days. They could have been rescued a day earlier if
they hadn't turned their ELT on and off. The park is working with NTSB and
the FAA on the accident investigation and the removal of the wreckage. [Jeff
Mow, CR, GAAR, 8/24]
99-519 - Great Smoky Mountains NP (NC/TN) - Domestic Dispute; Assault
Shortly after 7 p.m. on August 24th, rangers were notified that two women
were in the Sugarlands Visitor Center restroom, hiding from two men who had
assaulted them with baseball bats. Ranger Helen McNutt requested an
ambulance and passed on suspect and vehicle descriptions to other rangers.
The two men - A.E.L. and his son A.C.L. - were under
arrest within 30 minutes. One of the woman was airlifted to University of
Tennessee Hospital; the other refused treatment. All four are from Cherokee,
North Carolina, and are known to each other. They were apparently traveling
in two vehicles, headed back to Cherokee, when the assault occurred. The
L.S were charged with assault and are currently on bond. Alcohol was a
contributing factor. [Jason Houck, CR, GRSM, 8/26]
FIRE ACTIVITY
EDITOR'S NOTE
Fire summaries in the Morning Report this summer have until now been posted a
day late for a variety of reasons. Due to the increased fire activity, they
will now be posted on the same day as they are received.
NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level IV
The preparedness level has gone up one step. Preparedness Level IV goes into
effect when the following conditions are met: Two or more geographic areas
experiencing incidents requiring Type I teams. Competition exists for
resources between geographic areas. 450 crews or nine Type I teams committed
nationally.
LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY
Tue Thu % Est
State Unit Fire/Incident IMT 8/24 8/26 Con Con
CA Yosemite NP South Park Cx FUM 482 482 0 UNK
North Park Cx FUM 5,280 5,280 0 UNK
Stanislaus NF Pilot T1 1,100 3,320 50 UNK
Angeles NF * Shinn -- - 600 66 UNK
Lassen-Modoc RU Willow ST 4,000 5,300 30 UNK
L-M Lightning Cx -- 400 400 100 CND
Butte RU Butte Cx ST 3,500 12,165 UNK UNK
Tehama Glen RU Tehama Glen Cx -- 10,500 12,000 40 UNK
Shasta Trinity RU Shasta-Trin. Cx ST 1,275 1,275 16 UNK
Modoc NF Yellow-Pine Cx T2 6,000 17,684 25 UNK
Plumas NF MHRD Cx T1 500 2,866 10 UNK
FRRD Cx T1 900 3,210 20 UNK
Shasta-Trinity NF High Cx T1 550 8,000 5 UNK
Big Bar Cx T2 125 2,500 UNK UNK
N. Cal.District * Wimer -- - 533 85 8/27
* Annie -- - 640 85 8/26
NV Winnemucca FO Dido Cx T2 16,250 16,250 100 CND
* Pass Creek T2 - 7,400 90 8/27
Carson City District Fish Cx T2 18,000 36,000 10 8/29
Red Rock T2 4,500 6,500 100 CND
* Sutro T2 - 2,000 40 8/28
Elko FO * Boulder -- - 700 100 CND
Battle Mountain FO * Rail Springs -- - 1,000 90 8/27
OR Prineville District Buck Creek -- 1,100 1,700 100 CND
Sheldon-Hart NWR Badger T2 5,000 30,000 30 8/27
State * Placeder Gulch -- - 675 0 UNK
Colville Agency * Soap Lake Mtn. -- - 350 50 8/26
* Timm Bros. Ranch -- - 2,000 100 CND
Burns District * Elliot Ridge -- - 129 100 CND
TX State * Topeka -- - 1,500 80 8/27
FL State * Tuggle Springs -- - 580 UNK UNK
OK State Springtown -- 700 700 100 CND
ID Lower Snake District West Shoofly -- 2,000 2,500 100 CND
Upper Snake District * Cow Creek -- - 457 100 CND
UT Cedar City FO * Leamington -- - 480 100 CND
MT State * Stephens Hill -- - 200 100 CND
Rocky Boy Agency * Shirley's -- - 1,200 100 CND
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
NPS FIRE NARRATIVES (as of 8/26)
Yosemite NP - Holding actions are being taken on the Lost Bear Fire to
contain its northeast spread and are being considered on the northwest flank
of the Eleanor Fire. The park may be looking for resources for these
actions, but they are not readily available due to fires elsewhere in
California.
Joshua Tree NP - The park had six starts from lightning strikes on Wednesday
night. All were contained. The predicted high for Thursday was 108 degrees.
Lava Beds NM - The Yellow Fire, part of the Yellow Pine Complex, has burned
into the park, but less than a half acre had burned at the time of the
report.
Badlands NP - Blacklining continues on the 5,000-acre Big Buffalo Fire (a
prescribed fire), which is burning along the park's north boundary.
Zion NP - The Firepit Fire burned 15 acres on Wednesday before being
suppressed.
NUMBER OF NEW FIRES (FOUR DAY TREND)
NPS BIA BLM FWS States USFS Total
Monday, 8/23 9 9 87 0 354 263 722
Tuesday, 8/24 3 5 72 2 367 150 599
Wednesday, 8/25 1 13 48 1 159 74 296
Thursday, 8/26 1 10 15 0 135 89 250
TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FOUR DAY TREND)
Crews Engines Helicopters Airtankers Overhead
Monday, 8/23 222 479 78 16 791
Tuesday, 8/24 304 672 94 14 1,086
Wednesday, 8/25 346 663 104 23 1,011
Thursday, 8/26 415 739 119 14 1,289
CURRENT SITUATION
NIFC declared national preparedness level IV yesterday. Military liaison has
been requested; identification of Canadian resources is underway.
Large fires continued to burn Wednesday and Thursday in the Great Basin and
California as hot and dry weather conditions continued. New large fires were
reported yesterday in California, the Great Basin and the South. Initial
attack activity was moderate in most areas. Mobilization from NICC was high,
and there has been competition for air tankers, lead planes, type I and II
helicopters, and type I crews.
Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Oregon, Washington,
California, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, Arkansas, Oklahoma and
Texas.
NIFC has posted FIRE WEATHER WATCHES for dry lightning in BLM's Vale and
Lower Snake River Districts, for dry lightning in southern and southeastern
Montana, and for dry lightning in BLM's Burns District, Malheur National
Forest south of the Strawberry Mountains, and from the Ochoco Mountains
southward.
[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 8/26-27; Mike Warren, NPS FPMC,
8/26]
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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coordinator.
Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the cooperation and
support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.
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