NPS Morning Report - Friday, April 26, 2002



                           NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                              MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Friday, April 26, 2002

INCIDENTS

02-127 - Ozark NSR (MO) - Tornado

A tornado struck the town of Van Buren near the park on Wednesday, April
24th. Damage to the towns of South Van Buren and Chicopee included several
downed trees and some crushed (but unoccupied) mobile homes. A subdivision
in Polar Bluff, about 50 miles to the east, was badly damaged, and a number
of people were injured. No damage has been discovered in the park. Park
staff have offered assistance to the community of Van Buren and to utility
companies attempted to restore electrical service, but no help has yet been
requested. [Larry Johnson, OZAR, 4/25]

02-128 - Death Valley NP (CA) - Explosives

On April  14th, visitors contacted interpretive rangers at the park's
visitor center and told them that they'd heard gunfire the previous day in
Butte Valley, which is in the remote southern end of the park. Ranger Aaron
Shandor and a county sheriff responded and were joined by ranger Sally
Sprouse. It took two hours for them to reach the area, where they contacted
three people at the geologist cabin and determined that they were part of a
larger group of 20 people from the Bay area who were engaged in various
illegal activities in the park - setting off explosives, shooting off
fireworks, engaging in target practice and skeet shooting, firing
paintballs at each other, and smoking marijuana. Among the items
confiscated were 22 firearms (two of which are illegal in California),
about 75 pounds of fireworks and agricultural explosives, a flare launcher,
and materials for making explosive devices, including two grenade
detonators. The explosives were being set off on park land. Rangers are
working with ATF, the Inyo County Sheriff's Office and military bomb
experts in the continuing investigation. [CRO, DEVA, 4/25]

02-129 - Maggie L. Walker NHS (VA) - Burglary

During the early morning hours of April 23rd, employees of park contractor
Prestige Construction Company found that two windows had been damaged in a
park building and that someone had scaled the locked alley gate and entered
an adjacent window by breaking out the plywood covering. The burglar then
exited the building by cutting the  plastic covering of another window and
crawling out into the same alleyway. A search of the building revealed that
about $300 worth of hand tools were missing from the second floor. A joint
investigation is being conducted by rangers and Richmond police. The
building is one of four vacant structures undergoing renovation work that
will include the installation of both intrusion and fire alarm systems.
[Timothy Mauch, SPR, RICH/MAWA, 4/23]

02-130 - Great Smoky Mountains NP (NC/TN) - Suicide

Rangers found the body of a 47-year-old Cincinnati, Ohio, man in the woods
near Little River Road and the Sinks just after 11 a.m. on the morning of
April 23rd. A search had begun at dawn when a check of the parked vehicle
revealed that the owner had been reported missing by relatives the previous
day. The cause of death was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Acting DR Randy
Scoggins is the case ranger. [Jack Ramsden, Communications Center, GRSM,
4/23]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Situation

Preparedness Level 1

Initial attack was light nationwide. Only two new large fires were
reported. A Type 1 team (Hart) is assigned to the Snaking Fire in the
Pike-Isabel NF in Colorado. The fire, which has now burned 1,793 acres,
continues to threaten the town of Bailey. Over 400 homes have been
evacuated. There's no estimate of containment. A Type 2 team (Sears) is
working the 1,117-acre Center Fire in the Coronado NF in Arizona. It is now
90% contained.

Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Arizona, Colorado, New
Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

National Resource Status

                  Tue   Wed
Date              4/24  4/25

Crews             56    73
Engines           148   150
Helicopters       16    24
Air Tankers       0     0
Overhead          351   463

Park Fire Situation

No activity reported.

Park Fire Danger

Extreme - N/A
Very High - N/A
High - Hawaii Volcanoes NP

[NPS Situation Summary Report, 4/25; NICC Incident Management Situation
Report, 4/25]

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Independence NHP  (PA) ? Vacancy announcements have been issued for three
GS-9/11 supervisory park ranger (LE) and three GS-9/11 park
ranger/instructor (FTO) positions at the park. The announcements open on
April 30th and close on Mary 14th. The park is located in center-city
Philadelphia. The duties are diverse and challenging. Independence Hall and
the Liberty Bell head the list of cultural treasures found at the site.
Annual visitation exceeds three million. All of the amenities associated
with city life are present. For more information about the positions,
please call Erin Nangle at 215-597-1506. [Joe Nicholson, INDE]

                               *  *  *  *  *

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

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