NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:           All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:         Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:     Thursday, August 8, 2002

INCIDENTS

02-361 - Joshua Tree NP (CA) - Rescue

Rangers were contacted by the San Bernadino Sheriff's Office just after
midnight on July 2nd and notified that a young woman named T.Y.
was missing in the park. Rangers contacted T.L., the person
who'd called the sheriff's office. T.L. said that T.Y. had been
missing since 10 a.m. on July 1st, that her last meal had been dinner on
June 30th, that she had two liters of bottled water with her, and that
she was taking prescription medication for depression. A search was
begun at 6 a.m. Park employees from several divisions and members of a
volunteer SAR team participated in the search. The Riverside County
Sheriff's Office provided a search helicopter and airplane for air
support. Meanwhile, investigators learned that T.Y. and T.L. had been
using illegal drugs prior to her becoming lost. Ground searchers found
T.Y. lying on the ground just before 10 a.m. She was incoherent and
showing signs of dehydration. T.Y. was flown to Hi-Desert Medical
Center. T.Y. and T.L. were later cited for drug possession and use,
disorderly conduct and camping violations. [Jimmy Pritchett, JOTR]

02-362 - Glacier NP (MT) - Climbing Fatality

M.W., 20, of Orange Park, Florida, died in a climbing accident
on the Hidden Lake side of Reynolds Mountain on the night of Monday,
August 5th. The fatality is under routine investigation, but it appears
that he fell over two cliff bands, rolled down a rock slope, and died
from massive trauma. Snow was reportedly not a factor in the accident.
M.W. was a seasonal employee at St. Mary's Park Café and had been
working there for about three weeks. This was his first summer working
in the region. Although climbing in the park is legal, it is not a
recommended or promoted park activity due to the loose and unstable
nature of the rock and the snow and ice encountered on most peaks and
climbing routes much of the time. [Amy Vanderbilt, PIO, GLAC]

02-363 - Badlands NP (SD) - Serious Motor Vehicle Accident

Park rangers and other employees responded to a report of a serious
motor vehicle accident on Highway 44 just east of the town of Interior
on July 26th. A van from Minnesota had been traveling westbound on the
highway when the driver lost control. The van crossed the road and
rolled at least once before coming to rest on its side. Three of the
four occupants were not wearing their seat belts and were ejected out
the rear window. The occupants are believed to have been youth ministers
either working on or visiting the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.  The
three who were thrown from the van sustained numerous injuries,
including head and neck injuries, multiple fractures, lacerations and
avulsions. The park structural fire brigade was called out, with
ambulance and fire response from the town of Kadoka. Park EMT's quickly
triaged the patients and requested a life flight helicopter from Rapid
City. All of the patients were stabilized and monitored until the
arrival of the life flight helicopter and ambulances.  All four were
then taken to the Rapid City Regional Hospital. The accident is
currently under investigation by the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Speed
is believed to have been a contributing factor. The medical status of
the four occupants of the van was not known at the time of the report in
late July. [Scott Lopez, CR, BADL]

[Additional reports pending...]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Situation

Preparedness Level 5

Initial attack was again light nationwide. Two of the 200 newly-reported
fires escaped initial attack and became project fires; another five
large fires were contained.

A volunteer firefighter who sustained injuries while suppressing the
Klink Knob Fire in South Dakota passed away on Tuesday.

Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in 16 states (the same
states that were on yesterday's list, plus new addition Massachusetts):
Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Massachusetts,
Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah,
Washington and Wyoming.

National Resource Commitments

                   Tue      Wed      Thu      Fri      Sat      Sun      Mon      Tue      Wed
Date               7/30     7/31     8/1      8/2      8/3      8/4      8/5      8/6      8/7
                         
Crews              703      716      592      634      647      686      589      566      548
Engines            1,205    1,468    1,117    1,099    1,095    1,199    1,028    874      906
Helicopters        187      198      174      172      161      180      177      153      160
Air Tankers        12       10       13       17       17       16       9        10       4
Overhead           4,967    5,215    4,892    4,100    3,913    4,641    4,712    3,838    4,385
Area Commands      3        3        3        2        2        1        1        1        2
Type 1 IMT         9        10       7        6        7        7        6        6        5
Type 2 IMT         10       8        7        7        7        7        6        6        5
T1/T2 S/IMT *      4        2        2        2        3        2        3        3        2
Fire Use IMT       1        0        0        0        0        0        0        0        0

* Type 1 and Type 2 state incident management teams
# Information not available

National Fire Warnings and Watches

NIFC has issued the following for today:

*     A RED FLAG WARNING for high temperatures, low relative humidity, gusty northeast 
winds and poor overnight relative humidity recovery for northern California.
*     A RED FLAG WARNING for gusty northeast winds and poor overnight relative humidity 
recovery for southwest Oregon.
*     A FIRE WEATHER WATCH for warm, dry conditions and gusty southwest winds for 
portions of western Wyoming.
*     A FIRE WEATHER WATCH for low relative humidity for the inland counties of northwest 
Florida.

Park Fire Situation

Redwood NP (CA) - The Sour Biscuit Fire is now 23,814 acres with 56%
containment. It has merged with the larger Florence Fire (296,133
acres), which has three Type 1 teams and 5,168 firefighters and overhead
assigned to it. A red flag warning is in effect for the area (see
above). This warning will last through Thursday at least and very likely
until early Saturday. Gasquet and Hiouchi residents are still preparing
for a possible evacuation if fire activity increases on the southern
edge of the fire. Crews are focusing their efforts on a containment line
in this area. For more information:
www.r5.fs.fed.us/sixrivers/incident/biscuit

Yellowstone NP (WY) - Minimal resources remain assigned to the Broad
Fire. Only a small amount of smoke is occasionally visible on the
interior of the fire and no significant fire activity has been reported.
The total acreage remains at 9,140 acres; the fire is approximately 95%
contained. All other fires in the park are contained and in patrol
status or have been declared out.

Point Reyes NS (CA) - The park suppressed a half-acre fire, which began
with a vehicle spark.

Sequoia/Kings Canyon NP's (CA) - A new lightning-caused fire was
discovered in Kings Canyon NP yesterday. The Slide Fire has burned a
half acre and will be managed as a wildland fire use fire. Two other
wildland fire use fires (Atwell and Circle), both in Sequoia NP, are not
showing any activity and will be declared out shortly. The McNalley
Fire, on the Sequoia National Forest, has burned 108,924 acres and is
55% contained. For more information on McNally:
www.r5.fs.fed.us/sequoia/incident/mcnalley.html

Denali NP (AK) - The Moose Lake Fire is 69,038 acres. Half of this
acreage is inside the park. An infrared flight on August 5th confirmed
previously estimated fire perimeter growth to the south and southwest.
The John Hansen Lake Fire, which is only barely inside the park, is
still reported at 5,200 acres.

Noatak NP (AK) - The Cottonwood Bar Fire is 3,660 acres in a limited
management zone. This fire is not staffed.

Gates of the Arctic NP (AK) - The Dawn Creek Fire was last reported at
900 acres.

For additional information on all fires, check the following web sites:

*     Map of fire locations - http://www.nifc.gov/fireinfo/firemap.html 
*     Details on all current major fires - http://www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.pdf 
*     Fire news and fire year in perspective - http://www.nifc.gov/fireinfo/nfn.html. 

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report; Jody Lyle, Fire Information Desk, NIFC]

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Assateague Island NS (MD/VA) - The park is recruiting to fill three
fall/winter seasonal positions. These positions will deal primarily with
hunting program operations and enforcement, including deer, upland game
and waterfowl. Duties will involve hunter surveillance,  compliance
inspections, and anti-poaching patrols both on land and water. Positions
are at both the GS-5 and GS-7 levels. Announcements can be viewed at
www.usajobs.opm.gov, announcement numbers ASIS-02-18(T) and
ASIS-02-19(T). Anyone interested in more information may contact
assistant chief ranger Andy Zavanelli at 410-641- 3937. The
announcements close on August 23rd. [John Burns, ASIS]

San Antonio Missions NHP (TX) - The park is seeking qualified applicants
for a lateral reassignment at the GS-9 level for a park ranger with a
Type I law enforcement commission to work in the Division of Resource
Management and Visitor Protection. The person selected will provide
visitor and resource protection in both rural and urban settings in a
park that has four active Catholic churches and associated parish
activities. The park has proprietary jurisdiction, but also has
well-established working relations with other local law enforcement
agencies. Besides the law enforcement program, the division also manages
the park's safety program, structural and wildland fire programs,
natural resources, environmental compliance, and communications. San
Antonio Missions NHP is located almost entirely within the city limits
of San Antonio, the ninth largest city in the United States. The park
contains four Spanish Colonial missions and associated farmlands, a
historic ranch site, acequias (irrigation canals), and a working
gristmill, aqueduct and diversion dam.  Summers are hot and humid and
winters are mild. San Antonio offers all the amenities of a major
metropolitan area, including several universities, health care
facilities, professional sports, cultural attractions and recreation. No
government housing is available, but apartments and houses to rent or
purchase are plentiful. If interested, please contact Dan Steed, chief
ranger, at 210-534-8875 ext. 224 for more information. The park
anticipates filling the position in October. [Dan Steed, SAAN]

*  *  *  *  *

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

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