NPS Morning Report - Monday, July 1, 2002



                           NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                              MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Monday, July 1, 2002

INCIDENTS

02-274 - Denali NP (AK) - Climbing Fatality

A solo climber fell a thousand feet to his death just after midnight on
Sunday, June 30th, while descending from the 18,000-foot level on Denali
Pass. Climbers and an NPS ranger witnessed the fall from the 17,2000-foot
high camp and responded. The climber's name is being withheld pending
notification of next of kin. This is the first climbing fatality to occur
on Mt. McKinley this year; the last was in 1998. Three climbers were killed
on Mt. Foraker earlier this month. So far this year, 1,231 climbers have
registered to climb Mt. McKinley; of these, 183 are still on the mountain.
[Doug Stockdale, PIO, DENA, 6/30]

02-275 - Whiskeytown NRA (CA) - MVA with Four Fatalities, Multiple Injuries

Rangers and NPS firefighters were first to respond to a two-vehicle traffic
accident with four fatalities and multiple injuries that occurred within
the park on Highway 299 two miles west of the visitor center just before
noon on June 23rd. A car filled with teenagers that was traveling eastbound
collided with a pickup truck driven by a father and his 17-year-old son.
The driver of the car, a 19-year-old female, was heading east at
approximately 70 mph in a 55 mph zone. She lost control of the car and
veered into the westbound lane of traffic, colliding with the pickup. The
impact smashed the left rear of the car, instantly killing one of the teens
who was wearing his seat belt. The impact also caused two other teens in
the vehicle to be ejected. One went down a steep rock embankment next to
the highway and landed about 40 feet below, while the other landed about
100 feet away. Three of the teens were pronounced dead at the scene.  A
fourth critically injured victim was airlifted to Mercy Medical Center in
Redding, but succumbed to his injuries later that night. The female driver
of the car and a front seat passenger, along with the two occupants of the
pick-up, were transported to Mercy Medical Center for treatment of minor
injuries. NPS fire captains Dave Hight and Mark Middy and ranger Billy
Watkins triaged the overall accident scene and directed rangers and
firefighters to specific victims and to road closure and helicopter landing
zone assignments. Also involved were rangers Nikola Flesuras, Billy
Watkins, Colleen Boes and NPS firefighters Carol Jandrall, Damon McNeill,
and Jessica Boes. Two post traumatic critical incident stress debriefings
have been held for NPS employees who responded to this horrific accident
scene. The driver of the car was arrested by the California Highway Patrol
on suspicion of four counts of vehicular manslaughter. Alcohol was not a
factor in the accident. [Steve Prokop, CR, WHIS, 6/26]

02-276 - Yellowstone NP (WY) - MVA with Two Fatalities

Two people died from injuries received in a two-vehicle accident on Highway
191 just after noon on June 28th. The two people were travelling southbound
in a pickup when it drifted into the northbound lane and struck the cab of
a tractor-trailer head-on. At the time of the report, there was no
information available on the driver's injuries, if any. Park staff, county
deputies, state highway patrol officers and local EMS personnel responded.
Immediately following the accident, the highway was closed to all traffic,
but reopened in the evening. Diesel fuel from the tractor-trailer was
spilled during the accident. The state was notified and cleanup efforts
were conducted. [Public Affairs, YELL, 6/30]

02-277 - Yellowstone NP (WY) - MVA with Fatality

On the evening of Saturday, June 29th, a motorcycle and car collided on
North Entrance Road just north of the Boiling River parking area in the
Mammoth Hot Springs area of the park. Investigation and witness reports
indicate that the 36-year-old driver of an SUV had stopped on the
northbound shoulder of the roadway to consult a map. The driver then
attempted to make a U-turn across the path of a motorcycle approaching from
the south. The motorcycle driver attempted to stop, laid the motorcycle
down on its side, and collided with the driver's side rear of the SUV. Both
the 55-year-old male driver and his 49-year-old female passenger were
injured but survived the initial crash. None of the four people in the SUV
was injured. Rangers and investigators responded to the scene immediately
along with the Mammoth Hot Springs ambulance. Both patients were
transported to Livingston Memorial Hospital, where the operator, S.G.
of Quakerstown, Pennsylvania, succumbed to his injuries. Initial
indications are that S.G. suffered a massive head injury that lead to
cardiac and respiratory arrest. His passenger, also from Quakerstown, was
treated and released the following morning. The investigation by Mammoth
rangers and park special agents is continuing and traffic-related charges
are pending. Alcohol, speed and reckless driving do not appear to be
factors in this accident.  Neither S.G. nor his passenger was wearing a
helmet. (Chris Fors, SA, YELL, 6/30]

[Additional reports pending...]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Situation

Preparedness Level 5

There were 148 new fires on Friday, 151 on Saturday and 86 yesterday; of
these, about 20 became large fires. Almost as many large fires were
contained.

Three MAC groups and three area command teams are now in place. 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 is managing the
Missionary Ridge fire.

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

Significant national fires include:

Arizona

Rodeo/Chediski Complex, Fort Apache Agency (463,830 acres, 45% contained) -
Four Type 1 teams (Dash, Martin, Humphrey and Bateman) are assigned.
Moderate fire behavior was observed yesterday. Crews successfully completed
burnout operations along the entire southwest flank and are holding lines
on the northwest flank. Mop-up and line rehabilitation are underway on the
southeast and northeast flanks. Overgaard, Heber and surrounding populated
areas remain evacuated; structure protection is in place. Evacuation
centers are open in Winslow and Holbrook. Resources committed: 4,173
firefighters and overhead personnel, including 94 crews; 272 engines; 23
helicopters.

Colorado

Missionary Ridge Fire, San Juan National Forest (71,337 acres, 40%
contained) - Two Type 1 teams (Bennett and Hart) are assigned. Crowning
runs were observed on the northeast flank on Sunday. Direct attack lines
are being constructed in the northeast and northwest; crews are mopping up
in other divisions. Residents of three subdivisions have been allowed to
return home, but another six subdivisions are still evacuated. Resources
committed: 1,650 firefighters and overhead personnel, including 36 crews;
158 engines; 15 helicopters.

Hayman Fire, Pike-San Isabel National Forest (137,760 acres, 90% contained)
- A Type 1 team (Lohrey) is assigned to the fire. Creeping and smoldering
were observed in ponderosa pine, gambel oak and mixed conifer forest. Crews
are constructing direct attack lines on the west flank in the Lost Creek
Wilderness Area with support from aircraft. Mop-up and line rehabilitation
are underway on the north, south and east flanks. Resources committed: 698
firefighters and overhead personnel, including 15 crews; 41 engines; seven
helicopters.

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

                  Sun   Mon   Tue   Wed   Thu   Fri   Sat   Sun
Date              6/23  6/24  6/25  6/26  6/27  6/28  6/29  6/30

Crews             289   293   281   327   364   347   334   318
Engines           630   553   532   757   869   803   890   856
Helicopters       106   98    102   116   131   136   142   126
Air Tankers       1     0     0     0     5     0     0     3
Overhead          2,172 2,400 2,271 2,590 3.003 3,015 3,029 2,915
Type 1 IMT        10    10    10    9     9     10    9     11
Type 2 IMT        4     4     5     6     6     8     8     12
Fire Use IMT            2     2     2     2     1     1     1     1

National Fire Warnings and Watches

NICC has issued a RED FLAG WARNING for high temperatures, low relative
humidity and strong winds for much of Wyoming for today.

Park Fire Situation

Dinosaur NM (CO) - This wind-driven Bear Fire (4,500 acres, 10% contained)
is burning in sagebrush, pinyon pine and juniper on the Yampa River bench.
The fire is being managed by Chrisman's Type 2 team. Group and single tree
torching was observed on the south and east flanks yesterday. A slopover
across the Yampa River was suppressed by aircraft. Crews are constructing
lines and hot-spotting on the west flank. Difficult terrain, limited access
and very dry fuels are hampering containment efforts. An evacuation plan
has been drafted for several ranches and the Greystone subdivision;
structure protection is in place. Resources committed: 208 firefighters and
overhead personnel, including eight crews; five engines; two helicopters.


Shenandoah NP (VA) - The 950-acre Rockytop Fire was fully contained and
controlled as of June 28th. All trails in the area have reopened. All
acreage was within the park, There were no major injuries or accidents, and
no structures were lost.

Park Fire Danger

Not available.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 6/29-July 1; Lyn Rothgeb, SHEN,
6/28]

                               *  *  *  *  *

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

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