NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Monday, July 31, 2000

ALMANAC

On this date in 1909, President William Howard Taft proclaimed 
Mukuntuweap National Monument in southwestern Utah.  Ten years later 
it was included in Zion National Park.

INCIDENTS

Several incident reports pending.

FIRE SITUATION

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level V

CURRENT SITUATION

Eight new large fires were reported yesterday in the Rockies, eastern 
Great Basin, southern California, Southwest and South; ten others were 
contained. Initial attack was light to moderate, but is expected to 
increase today due to forecasts for dry thunderstorms with lightning 
in Montana, Idaho, Nevada and Oregon (eight fire weather watches have 
been issued). The 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery, is being 
trained for fire duty. The Department of Interior has issued a 
memorandum on the fire situation (see "Memoranda" below).

Priorities for fires in the eastern Great Basin and northern Rockies 
are being established by separate multi-agency coordinating groups. A 
Type II team is managing a staging area in Missoula.

The following resources were committed nationwide as of yesterday 
(changes from yesterday's numbers in parentheses): 554 crews (- 111), 
2,998 overhead (- 1,101), 811 engines (- 166), 178 helicopters (- 21), 
and nine air tankers (- 7). (NOTE: The drop in numbers does not 
reflect a radical improvement in the situation. There are three main 
causes - containment of a number of large fires, completion of 14-day 
assignments, and the holding back of reserves for anticipated 
deployment on initial attack due to forecast thunderstorms)

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

Death Valley NP (CA) - Happy Fire (5,500 acres, 95% containment, 40 
firefighters and overhead): Higher humidity and decreased winds slowed 
the fire's spread. Temperatures up to 114 degrees have hampered 
containment efforts.

Great Basin NP (NV) - Phillips Ranch Fire (900 acres, 15% containment, 
55 firefighters and overhead): The fire is burning in mixed conifer 
along the south slope of Lincoln Canyon, about half in the 
Humboldt-Toiyabe NF and half in the park. It's being managed by the 
Type II team working the nearby Coyote Fire. No significant runs have 
been reported in the past 24 hours. Firefighters are using natural 
barriers to help contain the fire. Access has been closed to Pole 
Canyon (Mount Washington Road) and Lincoln Canyon until further 
notice.

SIGNIFICANT NON-NPS FIRES 

[Most of the following are fires being managed by Type I teams. 
Asterisks indicate new fires; fires that are no longer reported have 
been contained. For a full listing of all project fires, see 
www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.html] 

Boise NF (ID) - Twin Creek Fire (458 acres, 75% containment, Type I 
team, 504 firefighters and overhead): Moderate fire behavior was again 
reported. Numerous uncontained spot fires are causing problems. 
Predicted high winds and isolated dry thunderstorms today will 
challenge containment efforts.

Salmon-Challis NF (ID) - Clear Creek Fire (77,000 acres, 30% 
containment, two Type I teams, 912 firefighters and overhead): Extreme 
burning conditions and forecast red flag conditions today will cause 
problems. 

Fishlake National Forest (UT) - Oldroyd Complex (38.700 acres, 15% 
containment, Type I team and Type II team, 780 firefighters and 
overhead): This complex now includes the Oldroyd, Mona West, Broad, 
Mourning Dove, and Yance Fires, all near Richfield. Downdrafts and 
strong winds have hampered firefighting efforts on all fires. 
Commercial property, summer cabins and the town of Oak City are 
threatened.

Wasatch-Cache NF (UT) - Wasatch Complex (1,500, no estimate of 
percentage containment, Type I team, 279 firefighters and overhead): 
Fireline construction is progressing on the East Vivian Fire; a firing 
operation last night was successful. Spotting continues to be a 
problem. Crews are making headway on the Wallsburg Fire.

Payette NF (ID) - Burgdorf Junction Fire (14,714 acres, 37% 
containment, Type I team, 568 firefighters and overhead): High cloud 
cover and moderating temperatures and RH led to a decrease in fire 
activity, but torching, spotting and some runs were observed.

Upper Snake River District (ID) - Coffee Point North Fire (40,000 
acres, 75% containment, Type I team, 16 firefighters and overhead): 
The Type I team is managing this and other fires in the area. 
Firefighters are making good progress on containment.

Helena NF (MT) - Canyon Ferry Complex (31,497 acres, 30% containment, 
Type I team and Type II team, 999 firefighters and overhead): 
Flare-ups continue along the western boundary of the Cave Gulch Fire. 
The fire made major runs up Magpie Creek and crossed Hellgate Creek. 
Two more structures have been destroyed.

* Miles City Field Office (MT) - Fort Howes Complex (48,700 acres, 30% 
containment, Type I team and Type II team, 348 firefighters and 
overhead): This complex of six fires has moved to within five miles of 
Ashland. A burnout operation around several buildings was successful, 
but many residences are still threatened.

Los Padres NF (CA) - Plaskett 2 Fire (4,900 acres, 75% containment, 
Type I team, 1,193 firefighters and overhead): Crews are conducting a 
burnout operation along dozer and hand line from South Coast Ridge 
Road to the bottom of Willow Creek.

Sequoia NF (CA) - Manter Fire (63,270 acres, 10% containment, Type I 
team, 1,559 firefighters and overhead): The fire spread yesterday in 
the Dome Land Wilderness and Chimney Peak Wilderness. Eight residences 
and eight outbuildings have burned in the Kennedy Meadows area. 
Structure protection operations are on-going. Crews are making 
significant gains on the southwest edge of the fire line.

OUTLOOK

NICC has issued eight FIRE WEATHER WATCHES:

o       For possible dry lightning in southeast Oregon and southwest 
        Idaho.
o       For hot and dry conditions and dry thunderstorms in northern 
        and central Wyoming.
o       For low RH and dry thunderstorms in south central and 
        southeast Montana.
o       For dry thunderstorms, possibly containing gusty and erratic 
        winds, in central Montana.
o       For low RH, a high Haines index, gusty winds, and isolated dry 
        lightning in western Montana.
o       For dry thunderstorms in central, east central and west 
        central Nevada.
o       For extremely low RH and gusty winds in the mountains in 
        central Idaho.
o       For windy conditions and very low fuel moistures in northeast 
        Oregon, southeast Washington and parts of central Oregon.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 7/31; Sue Vap, Mike 
Warren, and Rick Gale, NPS Fire Management Program Center, 7/30-31; 
Rebecca Mills, Superintendent, GRBA, 7/28]

CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No submissions.

INTERPRETATION AND VISITOR SERVICES

No submissions.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No submissions.

MEMORANDA

"Wildfire Emergency," sent on July 28th to all DOI agency directors by 
the Assistant Secretary,  Policy, Management and Budget. A similar 
memo from Director Stanton will follow shortly:

"Our need for firefighting personnel is critical.  The Secretary has 
asked me to ensure that all Bureaus give the highest priority to 
protecting life, property, and the Nation's valuable natural resources 
from wildfires.  Departmental policy, 910 DM 1.4, states, that 
'wildfires, whether on or adjacent to lands administered by the 
Department, which threaten life, structures, or are determined to be a 
threat to natural resources or facilities under the Department's 
jurisdiction, will be considered emergencies and their suppression 
given priority over normal Departmental programs.'

"Please ask all of your offices and units to make all qualified fire 
personnel not essential for initial attack or other critical 
life/safety operations available to the interagency 
coordination/dispatch system immediately.  Permanent employees should 
be assigned to overhead (incident management) assignments, wherever 
possible, while seasonal employees should generally fill our 
commitments for crew assignments.  Those personnel that have received 
additional training since their last assignment should be identified 
for a qualifying trainee assignment into that newly acquired skill.

"In all wildland fire agencies, initial attack forces are taxed with 
the number of fire starts and the weather conditions.  Attention to 
prompt initial attack remains essential to control fires while they 
are small and prevent any further compounding of the national 
situation.

"On Thursday, July 27, 2000 the National Multi-Agency Coordination 
(MAC) Group at the National Interagency Fire Center declared a 
National Preparedness Level V, the highest level of preparedness for 
wildland fire. This action was based on the prevalence of large-scale 
project type fires in several geographic areas creating intense 
competition for wildfire suppression and support resources and the 
fact that all available civilian firefighting resources are fully 
committed.

"The MAC Group has also assembled a training cadre and management 
structure necessary to task the military to provide troops for 
fireline duty.  The first battalion will be activated next week. The 
National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) has activated all eight of the 
military C-130 Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems (MAFFS) units to 
supplement the civilian air tanker fleet and is discussing the use of 
other military assets, such as helicopters.  Agreements with Canada 
are being used to move aircraft and associated crews from that 
country.

"Dry lightning continues to contribute to escalating wildfire activity 
in the western United States.  With ongoing fires in Idaho, Montana 
and Colorado, the new activity in Utah, California, Washington, and 
Oregon has stretched our capability significantly.  In addition, 
unseasonably dry conditions in the South and Southwest and numerous 
initial attack fires limits the ability for those areas to respond.  
Currently, only Alaska and the Eastern area are more or less quiet.  
We expect the West will be hotter than normal through October.  
Rainfall will be near to below normal except in Arizona, New Mexico 
and Colorado where the monsoon should produce adequate rain to temper 
the fire season.  

"Consequently we expect the current fire emergency to continue for 
some time.  Your continued assistance in making the protection of 
life, property, and natural resources our highest priority is greatly 
appreciated."

INTERCHANGE

No submissions.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Haleakala NP (HI) - The park is in "dire need" of a GS-5 or GS-7 
seasonal or detail law enforcement ranger/EMT as soon as possible. 
Work could last as long as 1,040 hours. The cost of living is high, 
but there's a 22% COLA and park housing is available. For more info, 
contact Greg Moss via cc:Mail or at 808-572-4431.

                            *  *  *  *  *

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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