NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Saturday, July 29, 2000

ALMANAC

On this date in 1750, Benjamin Franklin proposed the erection of an 
iron rod on a high tower or steeple to test the suspected identity of 
lightning and electricity.  In 1972, Congress designated a colossal 
seated statue of Franklin in the rotunda of the Franklin Institute in 
Philadelphia as the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial.

INCIDENTS

00-436 - Organ Pipe Cactus NM (AZ) - Heat-Related Fatality

On July 24th, Fish and Wildlife Service personnel notified rangers 
that they'd found the body of a Mexican national in a vehicle near the 
park's northwest boundary on a road that passes through the park and 
into Cabeza Prieta NWR. Evidence indicated that the vehicle had been 
used to smuggle undocumented aliens into the country and that it 
became stuck while returning to Mexico. The driver failed in attempts 
to free the vehicle, ran out of drinking water, and died of heat 
exposure within a few days. Evidence also indicated that a second 
vehicle traveling the same route failed to stop to provide assistance. 
It had instead passed the stuck vehicle and returned to Mexico. [Dale 
Thompson, CR, ORPI, 7/27]

FIRE SITUATION

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level V

CURRENT SITUATION

A total of 16 new large fires were reported yesterday, most of them in 
the eastern Great Basin and the Rockies. At present, there are 56 
major fires burning in the West; together they've so far burned 
480,937 acres. More than 20,000 people are on fire lines or serving in 
support positions. Many existing fires displayed extreme fire behavior 
yesterday. Several fires thought to be contained or near containment 
made significant runs during the afternoon and evening. Spotting, 
torching and crowning were problems on many of the large fires. The 
hot, dry weather is supposed to get only hotter and dryer over the 
next few days, with many areas experiencing triple-digit temperatures 
and single-digit relative humidity readings. Isolated thunderstorms 
are possible in Montana, Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico. The fire 
weather forecast for the next 30 to 90 days indicates continued 
above-normal temperatures throughout the entire West.

The following resources were committed nationwide as of yesterday 
(changes from yesterday's numbers in parentheses): 664 crews (+ 30), 
3,416 overhead (+ 429), 997 engines (+ 177), 184 helicopters (+ 17), 
and nine air tankers (- 4).

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

[For more national fire news, go to www.nifc.gov/fireinfo/nfn.html, 
which also provides links to web sites for specific fires]

NPS FIRES

Mesa Verde NP (CO) - Bircher Fire (22,950 acres, 90% containment, Type 
I team, 976 firefighters and overhead): The fire continues to burn in 
and along cliffs, rimrock and draws on the north flank. The fire is 
moving north into gentler topography, allowing cress to make progress 
in building fire lines.

Death Valley NP (CA) - Happy Fire (5,700 acres, 85% containment, 75 
firefighters and overhead): No new information.

Glacier NP (MT) - Steep terrain continues to pose control problems on 
Parke Peak Fire, which continues to slowly flank to the east. It has 
burned about 75 acres.

SIGNIFICANT NON-NPS FIRES 

[Most of the following are fires being managed by Type I teams. For a  
listing of all project fires, see www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.html]

Boise NF (ID) - Twin Creek Fire (400 acres, 30% containment, Type I 
team, 465 firefighters and overhead): The fire is currently being held 
in a large basin. If winds blow it out of the bowl, the potential for 
growth is enormous. Containment efforts are being constrained by a 
lack of natural barriers, steep terrain, heavy fuel loading and 
unfavorable weather.

Payette NF (ID) - Burgdorf Junction Fire (11,322 acres, 30% 
containment, Type I team, 540 firefighters and overhead): The fire 
made significant runs on Friday, with torching, spotting and crowning 
in the late afternoon. The forecast for the area for today calls for 
warming and drying conditions and a high Haines index.

Salmon-Challis NF (ID) - Clear Creek Fire (60,000 acres, 30% 
containment, Type I team, 890 firefighters and overhead): The fire 
made another major run on its south side, threatening structures in 
Napias Creek and forcing crews to pull back from the Blackbird Mine 
area. Extreme burning conditions and spotting are deterring 
containment efforts. A power line was burned over. A second Type I 
team has been ordered.

Wasatch-Cache NF (UT) - Wasatch Complex (1,500, no estimate of 
percentage containment, Type I team, 279 firefighters and overhead): 
The East Vivian Fire has spotted outside of containment  lines. A 
structure protection plan has been developed for several towns in the 
South Fork drainage. Suppression efforts went well yesterday on the 
Wallsburg Fire.

Fishlake National Forest (UT) - Oldroyd Fire (200 acres, 5% 
containment, Type I team, 18 firefighters and overhead): A good fire 
line has been constructed around the side of the fire where structures 
are threatened. A burnout operation is underway.

Department of Energy (ID) - Ineel Fire (30,000 acres, no other details 
available): The fire continues to burn actively, but none of the INEEL 
facilities have been damaged.

Upper Snake River District (ID) - Coffee Point North Fire (30,000 
acres, 20% containment, Type I team, 16 firefighters and overhead): 
The Type I team is managing this and other large fires in the eastern 
Idaho area. Active torching and spotting continue.

Helena NF (MT) - Canyon Ferry Complex (28.922 acres, 30% containment, 
Type I team and Type II team, 958 firefighters and overhead): The 
Bucksnort Fire has been contained, but the Cave Gulch Fire is backing 
into drainages, torching and making crowning runs up slopes. Progress 
is being made on fire line construction along the southern and western 
perimeters to protect the community of York.

Los Padres NF (CA) - Plaskett 2 Fire (3.000 acres, 65% containment, 
Type I team, 1,193 firefighters and overhead): The fire spotted across 
the north fork of Willow Creek and made a run toward South Coast Road. 
A successful burnout was completed along Highway 1.

Sequoia NF (CA) - Manter Fire (25,472 acres, 29% containment, Type I 
team, 730 firefighters and overhead): The fire crossed the Kern River 
in two places. The community of Kennedy Meadows has been evacuated, 
and structure protection efforts are underway. Dry fuels are causing 
extreme fire behavior even with light to moderate winds.

OUTLOOK

NICC has issued a FIRE WEATHER WATCH for dry lightning in south 
central Montana.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 7/29; Mike Warren, NPS 
Fire Management Program Center, 7/28]

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

Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP (CO) - The park is seeking someone for 
a lateral reassignment to a PFT GS-9 park ranger position on the North 
Rim of the Black Canyon.  The incumbent performs the full spectrum of 
ranger duties, with an emphasis in wilderness/SAR responsibilities.  
Challenges of the position include coordinating SAR responses in the 
inner canyon, which has very steep, rugged, and vertical terrain and 
is often inaccessible by helicopter.  Additional challenges involve 
working in isolation without telephone and electricity.  
Solar/generator power is available and water is hauled in to the 
ranger station and quarters.  Incumbent may choose to live in 
government quarters or obtain housing in the Crawford area, a town 
with a population of approximately 200.  If the person selected 
chooses to live in government housing, it will be in a shared unit 
which is closed during the winter season, necessitating a move to 
government quarters on the South Rim near Montrose.  For more detailed 
information, contact chief ranger Linda Alick at 970-641-2337 x 221, 
or personnel specialist Sharon Huber at ext 233. [Linda Alick, BLCA]

                            *  *  *  *  *

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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