NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Monday, August 21, 2000

ALMANAC

On this date in 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the 
Historic Sites Act, which declared "a national policy to preserve for 
public use historic sites, buildings and objects of national 
significance for the inspiration and benefit of the people of the 
United States."  Among its results is the National Park Service 
program of designating qualified properties as National Historic 
Landmarks.

INCIDENTS

00-506 - Caribbean Areas - Tropical Storm/Hurricane Debby

A hurricane watch has been issued for Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands 
and several other Caribbean islands as Tropical Storm Debby continues 
to move westward and gain strength. Virgin Islands NP has buttoned 
down and is prepared for the storm's arrival. Southeast Regional 
Office is also checking with regional all-risk teams to determine 
their availability, just in case. The National Hurricane Center will 
likely upgrade some of these watches to warnings later today. As of 8 
a.m. EDT, Debby was centered about 400 miles east of the Leeward 
Islands, racing toward the west-northwest at 20 mph. Top sustained 
winds were 50 mph, with further strengthening forecast for today. 
Debby is expected to reach hurricane intensity (winds of 74 mph) by 
tomorrow afternoon. The track is still uncertain, but it may pass very 
close to Puerto Rico. [Ken Garvin, SERO, 8/21; The Weather Channel, 
8/21]

00-507 - New River Gorge NR (WV) - Rescue

River patrol rangers Melissa Dragon, Alicia Hill and Bryan Hunter were 
on safety patrol at the bottom of Middle Keeney rapids on the 
afternoon of August 4th. They were positioned directly above a 
particularly dangerous obstruction full of undercut rocks and sieves 
known as the Meatgrinder or Killer Falls. The river was running at a 
moderately high level and most of the current was pushing towards the 
Meatgrinder. A commercial raft hit a large hydraulic in Middle Keeney 
sideways, dumping three people into the water. One person was rescued 
immediately by the guide, but the other two were quickly swept 
downstream toward the Meatgrinder. The rangers quickly rescued one of 
them with a throw bag, then chased the other, who was becoming very 
tired and getting closer to the rocks. He was rescued just before 
being swept into the undercut rocks. [Gary Hartley, CR, NERI, 8/7]

00-508 - Grand Canyon NP (AZ) - Rescue

Park dispatch received a call via satellite telephone on August 4th 
reporting a boat stuck at Hance Rapids. The caller said that a 37-foot 
Western Rivers J-rig had wrapped up on a rock in the rapids. There 
were no reported injuries among the 22 people on board. Crew attempts 
to free the boat had been underway for four hours. The park helicopter 
flew to the site on a reconnaissance mission to determine what actions 
would be necessary to rescue the passengers and free the raft. It was 
determined that a short haul operation would be necessary to extract 
all those on the raft. All 22 people were taken to shore and camped 
the night with passengers from another Western Rivers boat. Rescue 
personnel were flown back to the South Rim. On the following morning, 
they returned to attempt to free the raft. A rescue/support boat from 
Hatch River Expeditions, launched at Lees Ferry, assisted with salvage 
operations. The raft was finally freed and its passengers resumed 
their trip down the Colorado. [Bil Vandergraff, IC, GRCA, 8/7]

00-509 - Whiskeytown NRA (CA) - Rescue

On the afternoon of August 6th, 13-year-old C.A. dove off a 
swim platform at the Brandy Creek beach and went under shortly 
thereafter. He was under for about five seconds before NPS lifeguard 
Jessica Lauppe pulled him back to the surface and brought him safely 
to shore. C.A. was transported to a local hospital, where he was 
treated and released. [CRO, WHIS, 8/7]

                  [Additional reports pending....]

FIRE SITUATION

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level V

CURRENT SITUATION

Four new large fires were reported in the Rockies and in the South; 
containment goals were reached on eight other fires. Initial attack 
was light, and winds diminished throughout the West. Winds are 
expected to be light today, and no lightning is forecast for the 
northern Rockies. 

Overall, about 100 fire are now burning in the nine Western states, 
Texas and Florida. 

The following resources were committed nationwide as of yesterday 
(changes from yesterday's numbers in parentheses): 612 crews (+ 5), 
5,834 overhead (+ 393), 1,154 engines (- 5), and 213 helicopters (+ 
14).

Very high to extreme fire danger indices were reported in North 
Dakota, Texas and all eleven Western states except New Mexico.

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

NPS AND NPS-RELATED FIRES

Yellowstone NP (WY) - The Spruce Complex (3,190 acres, 0% containment, 
no estimated containment date, 79 FF/OH). The complex includes 11 
fires. No major fire growth occurred yesterday for the second day in a 
row. The South Entrance Road was reopened this morning at 8 a.m., but 
with the proviso that no stopping is allowed from the southern 
boundary of John D. Rockefeller Memorial Parkway to Lewis Canyon 
overlook. Flagg Ranch Resort, Grassy Lake Road, and all trailheads in 
the vicinity will remain closed. Further information on the fires and 
closures can be found at www.tetonfires.com, www.nps.gov/yell/press, 
and 307-344-2593.

Grand Teton NP (WY) - As noted yesterday, the three fires burning in 
the park - the Glade, Moran and Wilcox Fires - and one from outside 
the park - the Hechtman Fire - have now been combined into the Teton 
Complex (6,200 acres, 0% containment, no estimated containment date, 
144 FF/OH). The primary objective for firefighters continues to be the 
protection of developed areas in Grand Teton NP and Yellowstone NP.

Glacier NP (MT) - The Parke Peak Fire (2,100 acres, 0% containment, 
10/15 estimated containment date, 16 FF/OH). This fire, which was 
started by lightning on July 23rd, continues to burn in the northwest 
corner of the park. Fire activity over the past 24 hours has been 
limited to isolated interior islands.

Grand Canyon NP (AZ) - The Dragon Fire (140 acres, 20% containment, no 
estimated containment date, 46 FF/OH). No new information received.

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

OUTLOOK

NICC has not issued any fire weather watches or red flag warnings for 
today.

The northwest United States will begin to see a warming trend with 
less wind as the trough moves east and allows for a ridge to build 
back over the area.  Conditions will be dry with winds generally out 
of the southwest or west at speeds under 20 mph.  No thunderstorms are 
forecast in Montana, Idaho, Oregon or Washington.  The Haines Index 
will increase somewhat.  Strong valley inversions will develop 
overnight as the upper level ridge returns.  

Farther south, monsoon moisture will bring more showers and wet 
thunderstorms to the higher elevations of eastern Utah, Wyoming, 
Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona.  Winds will be light upslope or 
southwest to 20 mph.  

Relative humidities will be slightly lower today, in the teens and 
20's across the west.  Some single digit humidities will occur in the 
hottest desert areas.   

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 8/21; NPS Fire Management 
Program Center, 8/20; Public Affairs, YELL, 8/21]

CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Gulf Islands NS (MS/FL) - Follow-up on Loggerhead Turtles

Sunday's Morning Report carried a report from Gulf Islands on 
satellite transmitters being placed on two loggerhead (Caretta 
caretta) turtles that nested in the park this summer.  The 
transmitters will track the post-nesting migration routes used by the 
female turtles to their "feeding grounds", which is where the turtles 
will most likely  spend the next two to four years until they migrate 
back to northwest Florida to nest again. The park advises that you can 
track the turtles' movement from your desk - just log on to 
http://www.cccturtle.org/sat18.htm.

INTERPRETATION AND VISITOR SERVICES

No submissions.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No submissions.

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

INTERCHANGE

No submissions.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

No submissions.

                            *  *  *  *  *

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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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