NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Thursday, July 27, 2000

                           *** NOTICE ***

President Clinton has issued a proclamation calling for all U.S. flags 
to be flown at half-staff on Thursday, July 27th, Korean War Veterans 
Armistice Day. Flags will return to full staff on Friday, July 28th.

ALMANAC

On this date in 1995, President Bill Clinton and President Kim 
Yong-sam of the Republic of Korea spoke at ceremonies dedicating the 
Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

INCIDENTS

00-347 - Padre Island NS (TX) - Follow-up: Serious Employee Injury

Ranger Bob Hansen, who was struck by a motor vehicle while on duty on 
the evening of July 1st, resulting in rib fractures and the amputation 
of his right leg, has been moved to the rehabilitation wing of an area 
hospital to begin physical therapy. Doctors are hopeful that he will 
be able to go home on August 8th. S.C., 48, has been indicted 
by a federal grand jury in Corpus Christi for causing serious bodily 
injury while under the influence of alcohol - a felony. Bob and his 
wife S. would like to thank everyone for the outpouring of support 
they've received during Bob's hospitalization. Cards and letters can 
be sent to Bob care of the park: Padre Island National Seashore, PO 
Box 181300, Corpus Christi, TX 78480-1300. [Gus Martinez, CR, PAIS, 
7/26]

00-430 - Zion NP (UT) - Multiple Rescues

On the afternoon of July 19th, rangers responded to a report of a 
visitor with a broken leg on the Upper Left Fork of North Creek.  
Rangers Cindy Purcell and Scott Cooper found 51-year-old R.S. 
a quarter mile below Russell Gulch. R.S. had jumped six feet from a 
boulder and suffered what appeared to be an angulated fracture to his 
lower right leg.  Due to the narrow slot canyon, a short-haul 
extrication was not possible. The park's technical rescue team and 
gear were flown by a BLM contract helicopter to the rim, and R.S., 
Purcell and Cooper were raised 475 feet to the rim through heavy brush 
and over cliff bands. Upon reaching the rim, R.S. was transported by 
a medivac helicopter to a local hospital. Rescue operations were 
conducted entirely in the dark and took until daybreak to complete.  
The rescue team came upon another incident while being flown out of 
the area - a 33-year-old male with a severely sprained ankle at the 
head of Russell Gulch. He was flown out in the contract helicopter. 
Kevin Killian was IC. [Aniceto Olais, CR, ZION, 7/25]

00-431 - North Cascades NP/Ross Lake NRA (WA) - Drug Smuggling Arrests

On July 23rd, rangers became aware of suspicious activity by three men 
at a trailhead for a trail to Ross Lake which is commonly used by drug 
smugglers and illegal aliens. The threesome - subsequently identified 
as brothers J., S. and P.D, all from Los 
Angeles - subsequently took a water taxi 24 miles to the north end of 
the lake near the Canadian border. On July 24th, three rangers and six 
agents from the Border Patrol, Customs and a county drug task force 
began surveillance of the lake and nearby trails. The D.s were 
arrested as they arrived back at the highway carrying 24 pounds of 
high-grade marijuana sealed in small plastic packages in two packs. 
The street value of the marijuana has been placed at between $72,000 
and $100,000. This is the third incident of drug smuggling on Ross 
Lake in the past week. [Galen Stark, NOCA, 7/25]

FIRE SITUATION

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level IV

CURRENT SITUATION

Nineteen new large fires were reported on Wednesday throughout the 
West and in the South; containment goals have been met on ten current 
fires. Heavy initial attack occurred in Idaho, Utah, western Wyoming 
and eastern Nevada. More large fires are expected due to hot, dry and 
windy conditions forecast for the Great Basin and Rocky Mountains 
today. Two more Type I incident management teams have been mobilized. 
NICC processed numerous orders for aircraft, equipment, crews and 
overhead yesterday.

The following resources were committed nationwide as of yesterday 
(changes from yesterday's numbers in parentheses): 531 crews (+ 49), 
2,233 overhead (- 7), 722 engines (+ 100), 155 helicopters (+ 15), and 
10 air tankers (- 1).

Very high to extreme fire danger indices were reported in all eleven 
Western states and in Texas.

NPS FIRES

Mesa Verde NP (CO) - Bircher Fire (22,909 acres, 40% containment, Type 
I team, 837 firefighters and overhead): Thunderstorms with strong 
downdrafts caused the fire to spread yesterday to cliffs, rimrock and 
inaccessible slopes, but higher relative humidity permitted crews to 
make substantial headway. Continuous heavy fuels, limited access and 
evening thunderstorms are impeding containment efforts.

Death Valley NP (CA) - Happy Fire (5,500 acres, 85% containment, Type 
II team, 223 firefighters and overhead): The fire started on the 
afternoon of July 22nd and is burning between 5,000 and 8,000 feet in 
the Panamint Range. Firefighters are being deployed by helicopter 
because of the rugged and roadless terrain - an area described as 
"some of the most remote and hostile terrain in the United States." 
Winds picked up on Tuesday night and some flare-ups occurred inside 
and just outside fire lines, but in areas with little potential for 
continued spread. One small cabin has burned. Heat is an issue. The 
forecast called for temperatures around 112 degrees in the valleys and 
90 degrees on the fire line yesterday. The nighttime temperature at 
Furnace Creek on Tuesday was 123 degrees. The heat has been 
debilitating to firefighters and has severely limited aircraft in 
their flight capabilities. 

SIGNIFICANT NON-NPS FIRES 

Note: There are too many major fires to list here due to time and 
space constraints. The following are fires being managed by Type I 
teams. For a full listing, see www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.html.

Boise NF (ID) - Twin Creek Fire (430 acres, 0% containment, Type I 
team, 437 firefighters and overhead): Current threats are to 
structures, Highway 93, and private land. Drought conditions and steep 
terrain are impeding containment efforts.

Payette NF (ID) - Burgdorf Junction Fire (9,600 acres, 43% 
containment, Type I team, 564 firefighters and overhead): Threats to 
Burgdorf Hot Springs and the guard station have subsided. Many crews 
are reaching their tour-of-duty time limits; replacements have been 
ordered.

Salmon-Challis NF (ID) - Clear Creek Fire (52,500 acres, 30% 
containment, Type I team, 897 firefighters and overhead): A burnout 
operation is underway between Panther Creek and Indian Creek to secure 
the east side of the fire, which was active throughout the night.

Helena NF (MT) - Canyon Ferry Complex Fires (23,640 acres, 10% 
containment, Type I team and Type II team, 689 firefighters and 
overhead): There are two fires in the complex - the Bucksnort Fire and 
Cave Gulch Fire. Nine residences and 27 outbuildings have been 
destroyed. Strong winds caused the fires to make major runs and 
exhibit extreme behavior. The Jimtown Road area and community of York 
are being evacuated.

Los Padres NF (CA) - Plaskett 2 Fire (2,808 acres, 45% containment, 
Type I team, 996 firefighters and overhead): Evacuations have begun in 
the Willow Springs Road area. Some residents who were previously 
evacuated have been allowed to return home.

Sequoia NF (CA) - Manter Fire (10,000 acres, 20% containment, Type I 
team, 641 firefighters and overhead): A historic structure and the 
wild and scenic Kern River corridor are threatened. Continuing high 
temperatures and low humidity are causing the fire to spread to the 
northeast.

OUTLOOK

NICC has issued two RED FLAG WARNINGS for today - the first is for low 
RH, gusty winds, warm temperatures and dry fuels in western Wyoming, 
the second is for strong winds in eastern Washington.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 7/27; Mike Warren, NPS 
Fire Management Program Center, 7/26; Nancy Wizner, ACR, DEVA, 7/26]

CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No submissions.

INTERPRETATION AND VISITOR SERVICES

No submissions.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No submissions.

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

INTERCHANGE

No submissions.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

FLETC (GA) - Behavioral science senior instructor and former 
supervisory park ranger Henry "Hank" Blatt has retired after over 30 
years of government service. Anyone who has attended the land 
management police training program since 1991 has had the benefit of 
his excellent instruction. Hank started his career in the NPS in 1971 
at Morristown NHP and served as a ranger at Shenandoah NP and 
Everglades NP. He distinguished himself as both a district ranger at 
Everglades and later as the park's law enforcement specialist. In 
1989, he transferred to FLETC and became an instructor in the Marine 
Law Enforcement Division. In 1991, he transferred to the Division of 
Behavioral Science. His specialty in behavioral science ws detection 
of deception and interviewing suspects. Hank's contribution to the 
training of NPS rangers at FLETC was substantial and his presence will 
be sorely missed. A retirement party has been scheduled for tomorrow 
at FLETC. If you'd like to contact him, you can reach him at his email 
address: blatt@darientel.net. [Brian Smith, FLETC]

Intermountain Support Office (CO) - Dan Huff, former associate 
regional director for science and resource management in Intermountain 
Region (and now with Fish and Wildlife), was involved in a motorcycle 
accident on Friday, July 21st. His wife, Joan, was with him. She 
suffered an injured foot and was treated and released, but Dan was 
seriously injured and is in stable condition in the critical care unit 
at Swedish Hospital in Englewood. He can't receive visitors or phone 
calls or flowers, but you can send cards to him at Swedish Hospital, 
501 East Hampden, Englewood, CO 80110. [Tom Wylie, ISO]

                            *  *  *  *  *

Distribution of the Morning Report is through a mailing list managed 
by park, office and/or regional cc:Mail hub coordinators.  Please 
address requests pertaining to receipt of the Morning Report to your 
servicing hub coordinator.  The Morning Report is also available on 
the web at http://www.nps.gov/morningreport

Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the 
cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.

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