NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Monday, August 7, 2000

ALMANAC

On this date in 1867, the U.S. Army began to demolish Fort Union 
Trading Post on the upper Missouri River so its materials could be 
used in the construction of Fort Buford three miles downstream at the 
mouth of the Yellowstone River.  Fort Union Trading Post National 
Historic Site, on the North Dakota-Montana border, contains a 
reconstruction of the historic fur-trading depot.

INCIDENTS

00-449 - Timpanogos Cave NM (UT) - Follow-up on Park Closure

The park was closed on the afternoon of July 30th due to the proximity 
of the Oak Hill Fire. The human-caused blaze traveled up a west-facing 
slope over rugged terrain and spotted into American Fork Canyon, where 
the park is located. The fire has since burned about 900 acres to the 
northwest of the park and is 15% contained. It's spreading slowly to 
the north and northwest, away from the park, and has not spotted 
significantly. When the fire approached the park in the early hours of 
July 31st, the computer server and critical files were removed from 
the administration office. The server was placed back on line late on 
August 3rd and communications with the park have been fully restored. 
The Oak Hill Fire is being managed as part of the Wasatch Complex. 
Red-carded park staff were formed into a crew and required to remain 
in the park around the clock. The Type I team managing the complex 
advised park staff to reduce fuel around park buildings, which was 
done. The road in lower American Fork Canyon and the park were closed, 
but both have reopened. A map of the fire can be found at 
http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/uinta/fire/wasatchcomplex/maps.html; details 
on the fire are also available at that site. [Kit Mullen, TICA, 8/6]

00-452 - Catoctin Mountain Park (MD) - Special Event

President Clinton hosted Israeli prime minister Barak and PLO chairman 
Arafat at Camp David within the park for the Middle East peace summit 
between July 10th and 25th. At the request of the Secret Service, 
portions of the park's central road and trail system were closed. 
Rangers from Catoctin, Antietam, Gettysburg, Harpers Ferry, C&O Canal, 
Prince William, Shenandoah and Fort McHenry and Park Police officers 
provided around-the-clock patrols, manned security checkpoints, 
handled visitor and media contacts, supported the Secret Service and 
State Department, and provided assistance and support for motorcades. 
Communications were handled through the NCR communications center. One 
small First Amendment demonstration was held in the park; others were 
held at the press center in nearby Thurmont. Other associated 
incidents were minor. [Roger Steintl, CR, CATO, 8/3]

00-453 - San Antonio Missions NHP (TX) - Thefts

There have been recent thefts of religious items at two of the four 
historic mission churches in the park while they were open to the 
public. Due to lack of physical security within the churches, the 
archdiocese did not want the thefts reported to the media. The park's 
protection staff, however, worked closely with local police on the 
investigation. On the evening of July 31st, the church at Mission San 
Juan was broken into and three Spanish Colonial statues carved in the 
1700s were stolen from the altar. According to church officials, the 
statues' worth cannot be determined because of their religious, 
cultural and historical value. Monsignor L.S., vicar general 
of the Archdiocese of San Antonio, had this to say: "This is an 
atrocity and sacrilege, not only against the church but against the 
priceless heritage of the whole community and the nation." There are 
no suspects at this time, but several detectives have been assigned to 
the case and park staff continue to assist in the investigation. Media 
attention has been high. [Dan Steed, CR, SAAN, 8/3]

00-454 - Great Smoky Mountains NP (NC/TN) - Drug Lab

On the afternoon of June 5th, ranger Jonathan Holter came upon an 
unoccupied car with its windows rolled down in the Mingus Mill parking 
lot. Holter checked the vehicle and saw drug paraphernalia and a 
partially concealed pistol inside. Two men and a woman soon returned 
to the car. Holter contacted them and discovered that they had 
methamphetamine and other drug paraphernalia in their possession. The 
pistol was recovered and found to be loaded. Most of the ingredients 
and equipment for manufacture of methamphetamine were found during a 
search of the vehicle. One of the occupants was a fugitive from 
Kentucky, wanted in that state for a variety of offenses, including 
DUI, possession of methamphetamine, manufacture of methamphetamine, 
and fleeing to elude. The DEA and North Carolina SBI have been 
notified and have classified the operation as a "rolling 
methamphetamine lab." They will be processing the car as a hazmat 
scene and assisting in the investigation. All three were arrested and 
will appear in court today. [John Mattox, SA, GRSM, 8/6]

00-455 - Delaware Water Gap NRA (PA/NJ) - Homicide

While on patrol late on the evening of August 3rd, ranger Chuck 
Kanopsic came across a fire at the edge of Community Drive near its 
intersection with  River Road. He called for a bladder bag to put out 
the blaze. As he approached it, though, there was an explosion, so he 
retreated. The park's wildland fire investigator was called in. When 
the rangers approached the scene, they found that there was a corpse 
in the fire. Pennsylvania State Police from the Swiftwater Barracks 
are heading the investigation, which is being conducted jointly with 
the park and FBI. The woman has been identified as 19-year-old B.W., 
a local resident. The investigation continues. [CRO, DEWA, 8/4-7]

00-456 - Zion NP (UT) - Falling Fatality

G.S., 63, of Illertissen, Germany, died from head injuries 
when he fell 10 to 15 feet while hiking off-trail near the top of 
Angel's Landing on August 2nd. Several EMT's and a Swiss emergency 
room physician were nearby and provided immediate medical assistance, 
including CPR. The latter was terminated after 45 minutes after 
consultation with the physician on scene and medical control at Dixie 
Regional Medical Center. A hiker in the vicinity used his cell phone 
to call for help, and park personnel were dispatched to the scene; an 
NPS trail crew working nearby was first to arrive. The body was 
removed by helicopter. Counselors were on scene to provide assistance 
to witnesses and family and conduct a CISD debriefing for responders. 
G.S. was traveling with Rotel Tours of Germany. Seventeen park 
personnel and a BLM contract helicopter were involved. Chuck Passeck 
was IC. [Tom Haraden, Acting CI, ZION, 8/2]

00-457 - Acadia NP (ME) - Falling Fatality

A Maryland man died on the afternoon of Friday, August 4th, after 
falling an estimated 200 feet from one of the park's trails. B.M., 
51, of Gaithersburg, was hiking on the Beehive trail with a 
friend when he apparently took a misstep and fell. Rangers performed 
CPR but the efforts were soon discontinued due to the severity of 
B.M.'s injuries. B.M. had been visiting the park with his hiking 
partner and their wives. The wives were not with the two men at the 
time of the accident. The incident remains under investigation. This 
is the second fatality on park trails this week. [David Buccello, CR, 
ACAD, 8/6]

00-458 - Lake Mead NRA/Grand Canyon NP (AZ) - Aircraft Accident

On July 22nd, Lake Mead NRA rangers Thane Weigand and Marc Burt and 
Grand Canyon NP ranger Chris Mengel responded to a report of an 
aircraft emergency landing near Pearce Ferry. The twin-engine Piper 
Navajo tour plane from Boulder City had lost one of its engines over 
Grand Canyon. The pilot attempted to fly to emergency landing strips 
in the area, but the plane continued to lose altitude over the next 40 
miles of travel and he was unable to climb to the altitude of any of 
those strips. He therefore landed on a beach across from the South 
Cove launch ramp. Neither the pilot nor any of his nine passengers was 
injured. The aircraft will be removed in a salvage operation. [Thane 
Weigand, IC, LAME, 8/4]

                  [Additional reports pending....]

FIRE SITUATION

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level V

CURRENT SITUATION

Initial attack was light to moderate nationwide on Sunday. Ten new 
large fires were reported, but another ten were fully contained, most 
in the Rockies and southern California. No major changes in the 
prevailing weather pattern are forecast for the near future.

One area command team is managing the large fires in the Bitterroot 
NF; a second is assigned to the large fires in the 
Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF; a third is en route to manage the large fires 
in the Lolo NF.  Priorities for fires in the northern Rockies and 
Great Basin are being established by multi-agency coordinating groups.

The following resources were committed nationwide as of yesterday 
(changes from yesterday's numbers in parentheses): 723 crews (+ 56), 
4,817 overhead (- 1,670), 1,038 engines (- 29), 169 helicopters (- 
35), and four air tankers (- 4).

Very high to extreme fire danger indices were reported in all eleven 
Western states, Oklahoma, and 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) - Pony Fire: 5,000 acres (+ 600), 5% containment, 
Type I team, 364 FF/OH (+ 163). Firefighters continue to protect park 
residences. The fire made a run to the south along Wetherill Mesa. 
About 90% of the fire is burning in inaccessible terrain. The park 
remains closed and all employees have been evacuated.

Glacier NP (MT) - Parke Peak Fire: 1,300 acres (+ 100), 40% 
containment (+ 20%), 40 FF/OH (+ 5). The fire grew by 100 acres over 
the past 24 hours and two spot fires were found north of Kintla Creek. 
A confinement strategy is still in place due to heavy fuel loads, 
inaccessible terrain and increased fire activity.

Craters of the Moon NP/Upper Snake River District (ID) - Craters Fire: 
700 acres, 80% containment, 67 FF/OH. The fire is burning in extremely 
rough terrain on the south end of the park. No other information 
available.

Zion NP (UT) - A lightning storm on the evening of August 3rd ignited 
eleven wildfires in the park - the majority of them discovered during 
a reconnaissance flight the next day. The largest is called the Cable 
Mountain Fire and has burned about 50 acres so far. Over 55 
firefighters are being used to contain it. Two others are also burning 
but are small in size. All others have died out. The weather continues 
to be hot and dry, with temperatures at or above 105 degrees.

For a listing of all fires, see www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.html. 

OUTLOOK

NICC has issued a RED FLAG WARNING for dry lightning, low humidity and 
gusty winds for southwest Wyoming, and a FIRE WEATHER WATCH for dry 
lightning in southwest and south central Oregon.

A weak wave of air moving through the northern states will bring 
cooler air and more stable conditions to Washington, Oregon, Idaho and 
Nevada.  Montana will be a bit more unstable with isolated to 
scattered afternoon thunderstorms.  Utah will be dry with isolated 
afternoon thunderstorms in the mountains.  Afternoon thunderstorms are 
also expected in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming.  An upper 
level low off the California coast will bring isolated mainly dry 
thunderstorms to northern California, southwest Oregon and the 
northwest corner of Nevada.  Southern California will remain dry.

High temperatures will reach into the 80's and 90's in most areas and 
up to 110 in the western deserts of Utah, Arizona and southern Nevada. 
 Temperatures will be between 110 and 115 degrees across the deserts 
of southern California and southwestern Arizona.

Minimum relative humidities will drop to the single digits and teens 
in the southern portion of the west and range from 10 to 20 percent 
across the north.  Winds are forecast to be generally 10 to 20 mph 
during the afternoon hours.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 8/7; Cheto Olais, CR, 
ZION, 8/6]

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

Washington Office (DC) - The Ranger Activities Division is currently 
accepting applications for the following four positions, all within 
the recreation fee program:

o       GS-0343-11/12 program analyst (recreation fees). Announcement 
        number NPS WASO-00-067. Closes on August 16th.
o       GS-0343-11/12 program analyst. Announcement number NPS 
        WASO-00-068. Closes on August 16th.
o       GS-0343-9/12 program analyst (fee technology). Announcement 
        number NPS WASO-00-070. Closes on August 16th.
o       GS-0301-12/13 fee passport and reservation program 
        coordinator. Announcement number NPS WASO-00-74. Closes on 
        August 9th.

All four positions are on USA Jobs. If you need more info about any of 
them, please call either the WASO Office of Human Resources at 
202-208-5574 or recreation fee program manager Jane Moore at 
202-208-4205.

                            *  *  *  *  *

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.

                             --- ### ---