NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:           All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:         Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:     Monday, August 12, 2002

*** NOTICE ***

Director Mainella has authorized the lowering of all flags to half-staff
at parks and NPS offices across the nation until further notice in
memory of Park Police officer Hakim Farthing and NPS ranger Kris Eggle.
Uniformed employees are authorized to wear black bands on their badges;
non-uniformed employees may wear black mourning devices similar to those
worn after September 11th.

INCIDENTS

02-370 - Organ Pipe Cactus NM (AZ) - Follow-up: Ranger Shot and Killed

A memorial service for ranger Kris Eggle, 27, who was fatally wounded
along the United States border with Mexico within the park on Friday,
will be held at 1 p.m. today at the Ajo Calvary Baptist Church in Ajo,
Arizona. The service will be preceded by a procession with full law
enforcement escort along the ten mile route from the town of Why to the
town of Ajo. A ranger honor guard will accompany the casket, which will
be draped with an American flag with a ranger stetson above it. The flag
and hat will be presented to Kris' parents at the end of the ceremony.
Interment will take place in Michigan later this week. The dress for the
service will be Class A summer uniform, with mourning bands on badges.
Protection rangers should wear defensive equipment. As of yesterday
evening, ceremony organizers were expecting several hundred National
Park Service employees at the service. Kris will be remembered by all
who knew him for his outlook, his professionalism, and his outstanding
abilities. He was born on a family farm in Cadillac, Michigan, and
graduated as valedictorian from the high school there in 1991. Kris was
also an Eagle scout and a member of the National Honor Society. After
graduation from the University of Michigan, he served as an SCA at Great
Smokey Mountains NP, where he tracked wild boars and bears. He then
became a park ranger and worked at Sleeping Bear Dunes NL and
Canyonlands NP before moving to Organ Pipe Cactus two years ago. Kris
graduated from FLETC this year, where he was first in his class and
recipient of the Director's Award. Donations can be made in lieu of
flowers to the Ajo Calvary Baptist Church Youth Program, c/o Calvary
Baptist Church, 740 West Rocalla Avenue, Ajo, AZ 85321. Condolences
should be sent to his parents. A web site with information on Kris and
services for him will be set up some time on Monday. The web address
will be posted in the Morning Report and in InsideNPS. [Rick Jones, PIO,
IMT, ORPI]

02-371 - Baltimore-Washington Parkway (MD) - Follow-up: Park Police
Officer Killed

There's no further update as of yet on funeral arrangements for US Park
Police officer Hakim Farthing, 28, who was killed by a drunk driver on
Saturday morning. Additional information will likely be available some
time today and will be posted on Tuesday morning. [Scott Fear, PIO,
USPP]

02-378 - New River Gorge NR (WV) - Off-Duty Death of Employee

On August 3rd, roads and trails supervisor R.L.R. was killed
in a tractor rollover accident on his farm. R.L.R. was a life-long
resident of Fayetteville, West Virginia. He is survived by Patricia, his
wife of 29 years, and two sons, C. and J. R.L.R. began his career
at New River Gorge in April 1990 as a maintenance worker, then served
successively as supervisory sewage treatment facility operator,
buildings and utilities supervisor and, in 2001, roads and trails
supervisor. He worked very closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
and the West Virginia Division of Environmental Protection on designing
sewage treatment facilities for New River Gorge and assisted the Corps
with design of their restroom and treatment facilities at Summersville
Dam near the Gauley River NRA. In 2000, R.L.R. received an award from the
governor of West Virginia as the state's outstanding sewage facility
operator of the year. He was involved with the West Virginia Citizens
Conservation Corps, and spent much of his time at work helping out young
WVCCC's with their trade work on projects in New River Gorge.  At home,
R.L.R. was involved in the Adopt-a-Highway program, helping neighbors
clean litter from their community.  Farming was R.L.R.s avocation, which
he planned to do full time when he retired. He worked closely with state
and federal agricultural services to make his farm a model operation of
conservation and best agricultural practices.  R.L.R. was a decorated
Vietnam veteran, receiving the National and Vietnam Defense Service
medals, the Republic of Vietnam with American Forces medal, and the
Bronze Star and Bronze Star with Valor medals. He was also rated as an
expert with the M-14 rifle. R.L.R. received a full military funeral at
his family cemetery, with a 21-gun salute by a military honor guard. He
is remembered as a caring supervisor with a great sense of humor; he had
the highest respect of all those who worked with him, who considered him
not only their supervisor and co-worker but their friend. Contributions
to a memorial fund in R.L.R.'s name may be sent to:  R.L.R.
Memorial Fund, Bank One, Oak Hill, WV 25901. [Mindy Smith, NERI]

02-379 - Yosemite NP (CA) - Bike Accident; Life Saved

On the afternoon of August 4th, rangers received a report of an injured
bicyclist on the bike path near Housekeeping Camp in Yosemite Valley.
R.M., 37, had gone off the paved trail and over a drop-off,
causing him to go headfirst over his handlebars and hit his head against
a boulder. He was not wearing a helmet.  Rangers were on scene within
minutes of the accident and found R.M. being held in a seated
position by his friend. He was unresponsive and not breathing. Rangers
immediately repositioned him to open his airway. Ranger Tom Wilson
inserted an esophageal airway while other park medics packaged R.M.
to protect his spine. He was transported by NPS ambulance directly to a
waiting air ambulance and flown to Doctor's Medical Center in Modesto,
California, where he was last listed in serious condition with multiple
cervical vertebrae fractures. [David Horne, Valley Shift Supervisor,
YOSE]

02-380 - Lassen Volcanic NP (CA) - Anaphylactic Reaction; Life Saved.

A nine-year-old girl was stung by a bee while attending an annual Native
American event in the park on August 3rd.  The girl began to experience
difficulty breathing, progressing to extreme respiratory distress,
seizures, and intermittent unconscious periods with cessation of
breathing. Rangers Dave Frederick, Rob Skinner, Erin Gunn, Chris
Lazansky, and Mike DeSanto responded, providing patient care and
ensuring safety of the area. The lead EMT identified a severe
anaphylactic reaction and administered epinephrine. When patient care
was transferred to an air ambulance, the girl was stable and oriented
and in only mild respiratory distress. The flight nurse credited the
rangers' quick action and teamwork with saving the young girl's life.
Later that evening, tribal elders invited the incident rangers to join
their circle while a bear dance was performed in their honor. This is
one of the highest honors the tribe can bestow, and it is very rare for
non-Native Americans to be given an honorary bear dance. Kelly Roche was
IC. [John Roth, CR, LAVO]

02-381 - Mount Rushmore NM (SD) - Anaphylactic Reaction; Life Saved

On the afternoon of August 7th, rangers responded to a report of a man
with a bee sting and resulting anaphylactic shock in the concession
parking lot. They found a 33-year-old man who had been stung
approximately five minutes previously and was in anaphylactic shock. The
man knew he was highly allergic to bee stings and usually carried an
epinephrine injector, but did not have it in his possession. Rangers saw
that his condition was deteriorating rapidly; after consulting with
medical control, ranger Don Hart administered an epinephrine injection.
The epinephrine reversed the shock condition within several minutes,
potentially saving the man's life. This incident was the third time in
the last two years that epinephrine injections by rangers at Mount
Rushmore have reversed anaphylactic shock. [Mike Pflaum, CR, MORU]

[Additional reports pending. . . . .]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Situation

Preparedness Level 5

Initial attack was moderate in southern California on Sunday and light
elsewhere. Five of the 167 newly reported fires escaped initial attack;
another three large fires were contained.

Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in the following states:

*     Continued from yesterday - Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho,
Kansas, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. 
*     Added today - Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
*     Removed today - None.

National Resource Commitments

                   Sun     Mon     Tue     Wed     Thu     Fri     Sat     Sun
Date               8/4     8/5     8/6     8/7     8/8     8/9     8/10    8/11
                    
Crews              686     589     566     548     566     564     561     518
Engines            1,199   1,028   874     906     865     876     820     734
Helicopters        180     177     153     160     158     164     160     152
Air Tankers        16      9       10      4       4       3       2       3
Overhead           4,641   4,712   3,838   4,385   3,989   3,741   3,667   3,429
Area Commands      1       1       1       2       2       1       1       1
Type 1 IMT         7       6       6       5       5       5       4       5
Type 2 IMT         7       6       6       5       5       5       5       5
T1/T2 S/IMT *      2       3       3       2       2       2       2       1
Fire Use IMT       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 FIRE WEATHER WATCH for gusty east winds and low relative humidity for
western Oregon and portions of the Washington Cascades.

Park Fire Situation Redwood N&SP (CA) - The Biscuit Fire Zone 2 (the
Shelley and Sour Biscuit Fires are within Zone 2) is now 28,680 acres
with 80% containment. The evacuation of the town of town of Gasquet has
been lifted. The fire remains on the northeast side of the North Fork of
the Smith River. Fire line is now in place around the east, south and
west portions of fire. Roads and services are still open in the park.
For more information: www.r5.fs.fed.us/sixrivers/incident/biscuit

Dinosaur NM (CO) - The Iron Mine Draw Fire is in a single tree with low
spread potential. This fire is under a confinement strategy and will be
monitored.

Curecanti NRA (CO) - The Vulcan Fire, 13 miles southwest of Gunnison, is
in the vicinity of the park. It has burned 164 acres and is 70%
contained. No smoke is visible at the park and the fire has had no
effect yet on park operations.

Yellowstone NP (WY) - The Phlox Fire (lightening start on/about August
6th or 7th) is estimated at 60 acres and has the potential to grow to
5,000 to 10,000 acres. It will be managed as wildland fire use fire. The
Yellowstone module has been committed to the fire. The Snowslide Fire
(less than an acre) is controlled. The Broad Fire  (9,140 acres) is
beginning to show more activity (as expected) and is listed as 95%
contained.

Great Smoky Mountains NP (NC/TN) - A squad of firefighters is still
working on a 15-acre lightning-caused fire.

Sequoia/Kings Canyon NP's (CA) - The human-caused Bubbs Creek Fire has
burned 15 acres and is being suppressed in Kings Canyon NP. The Slide
Fire is still active and is being managing along with three fire use
projects (the Slide, Moraine, and Fallen Moon Fires). The Moraine and
Fallen Moon Fires are not active at this time. The McNalley Fire on the
Sequoia National Forest is now 117,447 acres and 70% contained. For more
information on McNally: www.r5.fs.fed.us/sequoia/incident/mcnalley.html

Yosemite NP (CA) - The Wolf Complex (Wolf, Lukens, Morrison and Marshall
Fires) is being managed as a wildland fire use complex. The combined
acreage is listed at 157 acres. Periodic monitoring (weekly) will be
scheduled.

There have been no significant changes on Alaskan park fires.

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; Judy Chetwin, Fire Information Desk, NIFC]

*  *  *  *  *

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

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