NPS Morning Report - Wednesday, May 15, 2002


                           NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                              MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Wednesday, May 15, 2002

                              *** NOTICE ***

Flags are to be flown at half-staff today in commemoration of Peace
Officers Memorial Day, pursuant to Public Law 103-322. Flags will return to
full staff on Thursday.

INCIDENTS

02-173 - Kennesaw Mountain NBP (GA) - Murder/Suicide

On the morning of Monday, May 13th, E.G. walked into Southern
Electric Supply in Kennesaw, ordered several people inside to leave, and
killed P.H. of Kennesaw with a pistol. E.G. then drove to the park
in his rental car. When confronted and challenged by Cobb County PD
officers, E.G. committed suicide with his pistol. Chief ranger Lloyd
Morris and superintendent John Cissell arrived at the location only minutes
after the suicide. Cissell said that he'd seen E.G. in the park on the
previous day at about the same location. No note regarding motive or any
other information is available at this point. Cobb County detectives are
heading the investigation. [Lloyd Morris, CR, KEMO, 5/14]

02-174 - Death Valley NP (CA) - MVA with Fatality

R.B., 40, of San Francisco, died of injuries sustained in a
motorcycle accident on Badwater Road near Furnace Creek early on the
morning of Sunday, May 12th. R.B. was traveling north at speeds in excess
of 110 mph when he left the roadway. R.B. came to rest 436 feet off the
road. Alcohol is thought to have been a contributing factor. The California
Highway Patrol is leading the investigation. [Kyle Nelson, ACR, DEVA, 5/13]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Situation

Preparedness Level 2

Initial attack remained light on Tuesday, but four more states reported
very high to extreme fire indices. NICC reports nine major fires, three of
them fully contained and another three 75 to 89% contained. Among the more
significant:

•     Bouquet Fire, Angeles NF (4,977 acres, 100% contained, 743 FF/OH) -
The fire has been fully contained.

•     Mateo Fire, Cleveland NF (1,100 acres, 80% contained, 114 FF/OH) -
The fire is burning in a munitions impact area in Camp
      Pendleton Marine Corps Base. Live ordnance and munitions pose a
hazard, so firefighters are employing indirect tactics.

•     Blackjack Bay Complex, Okefenokee NWR (72,126 acres, 0% contained,
219 FF/OH) - Zimmerman's fire use management team
      is operating under a unified command with Georgia and Florida
forestry. About 70% of the swamp edge area has been treated in
      order to contain the fires within the swamp.

Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Arizona, California,
Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Utah and Texas.

National Resource Commitments

                  Tue   Wed   Thu   Fri   Sat   Sun   Mon   Tue
Date              5/7   5/8   5/9   5/10  5/11  5/12  5/13  5/14

Crews             40    93    51    26    43    33    67    46
Engines           105   125   115   50    124   56    145   117
Helicopters       21    25    15    9     32    22    38    27
Air Tankers       0     0     0     0     0     2     2     2
Overhead          391   727   503   314   418   286   450   460
Type 1 IMT        2     2     2     1     --    --    --    --
Type 2 IMT        1     --    --    --    1     1     1     --
Fire Use IMT            1     1     1     1     1     1     1     1

Fire Warnings and Watches

No warnings or watches have been posted for today.

Park Fire Situation

Sequoia/Kings Canyon NP (CA) - The Arrowhead Hotshots have been dispatched
to the Bouquet Fire.

Everglades NP (FL) - The park reports two new fires on Monday afternoon.
The DOF 205-168B Fire was burning in cane grass near the intersection of
205th Avenue and 168th Street. A structure was threatened and one of the
park's engines responded. The fire was controlled at about an acre; no
damage was reported. The DOF 227-232 Fire was burning outside of the park's
mutual threat zone, but two park engines responded per Florida DOF request.
The fire was controlled at about five acres.

Park Fire Danger

Extreme - Everglades NP
Very High - Lake Mead NRA
High - Hawaii Volcanoes NP

[NPS Situation Summary Report, 5/14; NICC Incident Management Situation
Report, 5/14]

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Midwest Regional Office (NE) - The regional office has announced its GS-12
regional structural fire manager position. The duty station is Omaha. The
announcement is on USA Jobs as 02-088 MPP and 02-087 DEU. It's open to both
status and non-status applicants. [Mike Warren, Structural Fire Program
Manager, FMPC]

Alaska Support Office (AK) - The Alaska Support Office's environmental
resources team is looking for someone for a three-month detail as a
GS-11/12 environmental protection specialist. The detail will begin on
September 2nd and end on November 22nd. The person in the position will
work directly for the team leader and be involved in a wide range of
NEPA/compliance projects, including assisting three Alaska parks with
preparation of backcountry management plans and environmental impact
statements. Travel and per diem will be covered by the team; salary will be
covered by the person's home park or office. For more info, contact Joan
Darnell at 907-257-2648 or via email at Joan_Darnell@nps.gov. [Heather
Rice, ASO]

                               *  *  *  *  *

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

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