NPS Morning Report - Thursday, June 27, 2002 (RETRANSMITTAL)



                           NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                              MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Thursday, June 27, 2002

                              *** NOTICE ***

Director Mainella has announced some significant changes in the planned
reorganization of the Washington Office. For an extended report, please go
to http://www.inside.nps.gov/. [Note: This web page is an Intranet site and
available only to employees at National Park Service terminals]

INCIDENTS

02-264 - Whiskeytown NRA (CA) - MVA with Rescue

On Thursday, June 20th, firefighters Jim Price, Bruce Melairei, Juan
Martinez, Carol Jandrall, and Mary Pitman and rangers Colleen Boes, Phyllis
Swanson, Steve Prokop, and Nikola Escobar responded to a motor vehicle
accident on Highway 299 in the park. The victim was trapped inside her auto
with her left arm sheared off near the shoulder. Boes applied direct
pressure to the massive wound while Escobar placed a high flow oxygen mask
on the victim. NPS firefighters set up a landing zone for a medical
helicopter and closed down the highway. The woman was close to death when
she was rapidly removed from the vehicle and loaded into the helicopter.
Pitman happened to pass by the accident scene seconds after it happened and
was able to effectively direct rescuers and resources. The victim remains
in critical condition but is expected to survive. [Steve Prokop, CR, WHIS,
6/21]

02-265 - Big South Fork NRRA (KY/TN) - Drowning

C.B., 16, of Strunk, Kentucky, drowned while swimming in the
Big South Fork River just below the Blue Heron mining community around 6
p.m. on Wednesday, June 19th. The community is located within the park.
C.B. was swimming with several others and was swimming across the river
when the accident occurred. Due to the location, it was necessary for
members of the group to drive to the top of the gorge in order to contact
McCreary County 911 via cell phone. Rangers, Pine Knot VFD, McCreary rescue
and local EMS responded. Members of the rescue squad worked the river using
boats and conducted bank searches; due to the depth of the river at that
location, however, it proved necessary to also call in area divers. About
five minutes after the local divers entered the water, they found Baird's
body. Ranger T. Barnes was IC on the incident. [F. Graham, CR, BISO, 6/21]

02-266 - Cape Hatteras NS (NC) - Drowning

On the evening of Saturday, June 22nd, K.-V.P., 18, of
Woodbridge, Virginia, who could not swim, was floating on a boogie board
with a friend approximately 100 feet from shore off Rodanthe Beach.
K.-V.P.'s friend decided to return to shore when she found she could no
longer touch bottom, but he remained behind. When the friend reached shore,
K.-V.P. was no longer in sight. Friends began to search for him when his
boogie board washed ashore. Minutes later, Dare County communications
dispatched ranger Barry Munyan to the beach. Munyan found Chicamacomico
Rescue personnel already searching by boat when he arrived. Munyan assumed
command and requested assistance from Dare County and the U.S. Coast Guard.
They searched from ground and air until approximately 11:30 p.m. that
night. The search resumed at daybreak on Sunday and continued until it was
terminated at 7 p.m. On Monday morning, FWS biological technician Frank
Draper found K.-V.P.'s body about four miles north of Rodanthe Beach on
Pea Island. Resources used throughout the search included a 47-foot Coast
Guard cutter, an H-60 helicopter, and a C-130 aircraft. Chicamacomico
Rescue conducted boat and shore searches, park pilot Bob Trick made
helicopter and fixed-wing flights, and park staff searched the shoreline.
[Jeff Cobb, CR, CAHA, 6/24]

[Additional reports pending...]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Situation

Preparedness Level 5

Initial attack was moderate in California and the Northwest on Wednesday;
three of the 176 newly-reported fires became large fires.

Three MAC groups and two area command teams are now in place, with a third
area command team on order. Priorities for large fires in the Southwest,
the Rockies and the Great Basin are being established by the multi-agency
coordinating groups for those areas. Mann's area command team is managing
the Hayman Fire; Ribar's area command team is managing the Rodeo and
Chediski fires; Chesley's area command team will be managing the Missionary
Ridge fire.

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

Significant national fires include:

Arizona

Rodeo/Chediski Complex, Fort Apache Agency (409,000 acres, 5% contained) -
Four Type 1 teams (Dash, Martin, Humphrey and Bateman) are assigned.  The
fires are burning in chaparral, ponderosa pine, juniper and brush. Slightly
higher relative humidity, thunderstorm downbursts and convection influenced
the fire's behavior, with activity increasing during the afternoon. Crews
successfully held the east flank along Highway 60 with support from
aircraft, preventing the fire from spreading into Show Low and communities
to the east. Significant progress was made in burning out along the
southwest corner. Damage assessment groups have confirmed the loss of 423
residences. Highways 260 and 277 remain closed.

Colorado

Missionary Ridge Fire, San Juan National Forest (69,782 acres, 30%
contained) - Two Type 1 teams (Bennett and Hart) are assigned. The fire was
again active yesterday, with runs, torching and spotting during the
afternoon on the southwest and northeast perimeters. The fire spotted
across lines in Woodward Canyon on the southwest flank.

Hayman Fire, Pike-San Isabel National Forest (137,000 acres, 85% contained)
- A Type 1 team (Frye) is assigned to the fire. Rain fell on the fire,
limiting activity to isolated torching, creeping and smoldering. Crews are
constructing direct attack lines on the west flank in the Lost Creek
Wilderness Area.

For a map showing the locations of current major fires , click on
http://www.nifc.gov/fireinfo/firemap.html ; for details on all major fires
currently burning, click on http://www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.pdf or
http://www.nifc.gov/fireinfo/nfn.html.

National Resource Commitments

                  Thu   Fri   Sat   Sun   Mon   Tue   Wed
Date              6/20  6/21  6/22  6/23  6/24  6/25  6/26

Crews             409   377   365   289   293   281   327
Engines           832   867   798   630   553   532   757
Helicopters       118   112   109   106   98    102   116
Air Tankers       2     0     1     1     0     0     0
Overhead          2,531 2,639 2,369 2,172 2,400 2,271 2,590
Type 1 IMT        11    10    10    10    10    10    9
Type 2 IMT        4     2     2     4     4     5     6
Fire Use IMT            2     3     2     2     2     2     2

National Fire Warnings and Watches

NICC has issued a FIRE WEATHER WATCH for dry lightning and high
temperatures for western Colorado.

Park Fire Situation

Shenandoah NP (VA) - As of yesterday morning, the Rocky Top fire had burned
900 acres and was 55% contained. Thunderstorms moved over the area during
the afternoon, and heavy rains fell on the fire. Firefighters are clearing
away fallen leaves, logs and sticks in preparation for burnouts to deplete
fuels ahead of the main fire. No structures are threatened. Skyline Drive
remains open, but the following trails have been closed - Brown Mountain,
Rocky Mountain Run, Big Run Portal, Patterson Ridge, Big Run Loop, Madison
Run Spur, Rockytop, Austin Mountain and Lewis Peak.

Park Fire Danger

Not available.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 6/27; Lyn Rothgeb, SHEN, 6/26]

                               *  *  *  *  *

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

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