NPS Morning Report - Thursday, May 30, 2002


                           NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                              MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Thursday, May 30, 2002

INCIDENTS

02-189 - Yosemite NP (CA) - Rescue

On the morning of May 23rd, Yosemite Valley rangers received a report of an
injured climber at the base of Half Dome. A.G., 59, of Minneapolis,
Minnesota, had taken a 25-foot leader fall the previous evening while
climbing the fifth pitch of the Regular Route on the northwest face of the
dome. His two partners lowered him to the base of the wall, where the group
spent the night. In the morning, when it was clear to A.G.'s partners that
they would not be able to get him out on their own, they contacted friends
in the Valley via family band radio and asked them to request assistance.
The rescue was accomplished using the park's Bell 205 contract helicopter
to rappel in a park medic to assess the patient. A Navy rescue helicopter
from NAS Lemoore was then brought in to hoist the patient and rescuer from
the scene. A.G. was treated at the Yosemite Medical Clinic for fractured
ribs, a sprained ankle and superficial head wounds. [Donna Sisson, IC,
YOSE, 5/23]

02-190 - Lake Meredith NRA (TX) - Rescue

The park was notified of a rescue underway near the riprap well in Cedar
Canyon on the afternoon of May 21st. Two rangers and the chief of police
from the town of Fritch responded. A 14-foot Skeeter bass boat with two
fishermen aboard had sunk after its engine quite and it began taking on
water. Winds at the time were gusting between 28 and 35 mph and the water
temperature was 52 degrees. The two men had attempted to employ a drift
sock to bring the bow of the boat into the wind, but the effort proved
fruitless and it sank in 50 feet of water 200 yards from shore. A Texas
Parks and Wildlife warden had helped rescue one man, and a fisherman had
helped the other to shore. One of the men was wearing a life jacket but did
not have it zipped and lost it soon after capsizing; he stayed afloat with
a cushion thrown to him by his companion. He was suffering from hypothermia
and shock and was taken to Golden Plains Hospital, where he was treated and
released. [Rhonda Terry, PIO, LAMR, 5/24]

02-191 - Gulf Islands NS (FL/MS) - MVA with Fatality

On the evening of May 23rd, R.L. of Peachtree City, Georgia, was
driving his motorcycle on the Navarre Beach Road when the bike left the
highway after he failed to negotiate a curve. R.L. was killed immediately
in the subsequent impact. He was not wearing a helmet. Both speed and
alcohol appear to have been contributing factors. The Florida Highway
Patrol Fatality Unit is assisting the park with the accident investigation.
[CRO, GUIS, 5/24]

02-192 - Colorado NM (CO) - Attempted Suicide

Rangers received a report of a vehicle in a canyon between Highland View
and Artist Point overlooks on the afternoon of May 20th. They found a white
sedan occupied by a 19-year-old man from Grand Junction, who admitted that
he'd deliberately driven off the road in an attempt to commit suicide. It
also appeared that he'd attempted to ignite the gas in the vehicle's tank
by lighting a rag in the gas port. A broken belt was found hanging in a
nearby tree, where it appeared that he'd attempted to hang himself after
the crash - a fact he confirmed later when talking with medical staff. He
also said that he'd attempted to electrocute himself a week earlier, but
without luck. He sustained numerous lacerations and contusions in the
accident and was taken to St. Mary's Hospital, where he is being held until
a psychological review can be completed. Bill Row is conducting the
investigation. [Bill Row, Acting CR, COLM, 5/23]

02-193 - Lake Mead NRA (NV/AZ) - Fatality

The body of an unidentified man was found at the lake's edge in the Boulder
Beach area on May 21st. The cause of death is not yet known. An
investigation by park special agents and Las Vegas PD detectives is
underway. [Scott Hinson, LAME, 5/21]

[Additional reports pending. . . .]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Situation

Preparedness Level 2

Initial attack was light nationwide on Tuesday. Among the more significant
were the following:

•     Bullock Fire, Coronado NF (19,300 acres, 45% containment, 1,021
FF/OH) - Humphrey's Type 1 team is managing the fire, which       is
burning in grass, oak and chaparral about 15 miles northeast of Tucson.
Fire line construction was nearing completion on the  north flank on
Tuesday. Burnout operations were continuing toward the Mt. Lemmon Highway
and will tie in with the west flank
      near Green Mountain.

•     Borrego Fire, Santa Fe NF (12,700 acres, 60% contained, 784 FF/OH) -
Bateman's Type 1 team has been assigned. The fire is
      burning in pinion, juniper and mixed conifer forest two miles
southeast of Cordova, New Mexico. Fire activity increased on
      Tuesday, but firefighters were locating and suppressing spot fires
ahead of the fire. The threat to the village of Truchas had
      lessened.

•     Blackjack Bay Complex, Okefenokee NWR (102,467, 0% containment, 75
FF/OH) - A fire use management team (Adams) is
      operating under a unified command with Georgia and Florida forestry.
The fire grew on its southern and southeastern flanks on
      Tuesday.

•     West Fork Chena, Alaska Division of Forestry (14,430 acres, 5%
contained, 323 FF/OH) - A Type 2 team (Jandt) is assigned. The
      fire is burning in black spruce about 50 miles east of Fairbanks.
Numerous residences and businesses are still threatened by
      the fire.

Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Alaska, Arizona,
Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah.

National Resource Commitments

                  Tue   Wed   Thu   Fri   Sat   Sun   Mon   Tue
Date              5/21  5/22  5/23  5/24  5/25  5/26  5/27  5/28

Crews             53    83    128   121   126   135   139   137
Engines           107   107   200   143   107   109   67    57
Helicopters       24    25    45    28    38    33    41    36
Air Tankers       4     1     3     2     5     1     1     2
Overhead          444   459   690   565   591   604   719   605
Type 1 IMT        1     2     3     3     3     2     2     2
Type 2 IMT        4     3     1     2     2     2     1     1
Fire Use IMT            1     1     1     1     1     1     1     1

Park Fire Situation

Everglades NP (FL) - The park began the HQ Rx burn on Monday. This block
was burned last year, but with mixed results due to high moisture. The
140-acre burn went well.

Mesa Verde NP (CO) - Two crews have been stationed in the park due to fire
severity - the Craig Hotshots and the Heat Seekers. No new fires.

Sequoia/Kings Canyon NP's (CA) - The Arrowhead Hotshots are at home and
available.

Park Fire Danger

Extreme - Mesa Verde NP, Saguaro NP
Very High - N/A
High - Joshua Tree NP

[NPS Situation Summary Report, 5/29; NICC Incident Management Situation
Report, 5/29]

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Yellowstone NP (WY) - The park is recruiting for a GS-0081-11 structural
fire chief. The chief directs and manages structural fire suppression
efforts in a large, complex system. Housing is available and required. The
position is open to status and non-status applicants and closes on June
12th. Questions should be directed to Mona Divine, deputy chief ranger, at
307-344-2105. [Mona Divine, YELL]

Point Reyes NS (CA) - The park is currently accepting applications for two
GS-11 district ranger positions in the Division of Visitor and Resource
Protection. The district rangers provide management and oversight over
district resource protection and public safety programs. At Point Reyes,
district rangers supervise protection ranger staff, manage visitor
protection issues, maintain active contacts with California State Fish and
Game and the Marin County Sheriff, and provide technical leadership and
guidance for search and rescue, wilderness management, oil spill response,
boat operations, and law enforcement operating procedures throughout the
90,000 acres administered by the park. Rangers also provide direct support
for resource management activities, including management of tule elk and
sensitive species such as elephant seals, snowy plovers, and threatened
coho salmon. Housing is available. The park is located in central
California and has over 80 miles of coastline, 26 listed species, and is
considered one of the richest marine systems in the world. The park has a
staff of about 110 FTE. For more information, contact Don Neubacher at
415-464-5101. Announcements closes on June 10th. [Don Neubacher PORE]

                               *  *  *  *  *

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

                                --- ### ---