- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Monday, August 26, 2002
- Date: Mon, 26 Aug 2002
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Monday, August 26, 2002
INCIDENTS
02-382 - Mount Rushmore NM (SD) - Follow-up: Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
The annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally was held from August 5th through
August 11th. Significant impacts from the rally included extremely heavy
traffic at Mount Rushmore and other nearby parks. Officials estimate
that over 500,000 people attended this year's event. Approximately
94,000 bikers visited Mount Rushmore during the rally. On Tuesday,
August 6th, the park set a new record high for daily visitation with
approximately 41,825 total visitors. Traffic was backed up for about six
miles from the park during a portion of that day. Rangers observed
members from about 40 different outlaw motorcycle gangs wearing "colors"
at Mount Rushmore. The concern on the part of area law enforcement
agencies about the potential of gang violence did not materialize.
Rangers responded to a high number of minor incidents and accidents and
two accidents with serious injuries. The official dates for the rally in
2003 are August 4th through August 10th. It will be held in conjunction
with the 100th anniversary of Harley Davidson motorcycles; heavy
attendance is accordingly expected. [Mike Pflaum, CR/Acting
Superintendent, MORU]
02-413 - Mount Rushmore NM (SD) - Special Event: Presidential Visit
On August 15th, President George Bush visited the park and made a major
public address on a number of topics, including homeland security, the
budget and the drought. The president spoke on the Grand View Terrace at
10 a.m. for about 35 minutes. Prior to the president's address, Office
of Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge, Secretary of Interior Gale
Norton, and South Dakota Congressman John Thune all spoke to the
standing room only crowd of over 3,000 people. Also in attendance were
South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson and Senator and Senate Majority Leader
Tom Daschle. Following the speech, the president greeted visitors along
the barrier line for about 20 minutes. Numerous national and local
media covered the event. Visitors began lining up on the roadway at
about 4 a.m., with some waiting up to four hours for access into the
secure zone. Park staff worked very intensely with White House staff and
the Secret Service for a week prior to the event. Mount Rushmore staff
was supplemented by the Midwest Region special events team, the
Pennington County Sheriff's Office, and the Rapid City Police Department
in providing security and support for the visit. There were no serious
incidents during the visit. A touching spontaneous moment occurred after
the president's departure when the traveling "Ground Zero Flag" from the
World Trade Center was brought out and about 45 law enforcement officers
from the NPS, PCSO, and RCPD, along with Secretary Norton, unfolded it.
Each officer touched a portion of the flag beneath the backdrop of Mount
Rushmore, and all observed a moment of silence in honor of the police
officers and firemen killed during the attack on the World Trade Center
last September. [Mike Pflaum, CR/Acting Superintendent, MORU]
02-414 - Buffalo NR (AR) - Cave Rescue
On the afternoon of August 11th, visitors reported that a cave explorer
had fallen from the first level to the third level of the first drop in
Cave Mountain Cave. They also advised that he was responsive, but had
sustained significant injuries. Park and local rescue personnel found
that he had fallen about 40 feet, then tumbled down another 50 to 60
feet, and that he had sustained possible head injuries, abrasions and
possible internal injuries. He could respond to directions, but was
disoriented and confused. Six rescuers rappelled into the cave and
prepared him for evacuation. He was raised from the cave, then
transferred to an ambulance and taken to a hospital. At last report, he
was in stable but guarded condition. The victim had been free-climbing
in an area above the drop. Members of his group heard a noise and found
that he'd fallen. About 40 people were involved in the rescue operation.
[Tonya Fell, BUFF]
02-415 - Amistad NRA (TX) - Border Incidents
Between January 1st and August 16th, park rangers and Border Patrol
agents apprehended 530 undocumented aliens in the park in 27 incidents.
During this same period, rangers worked 22 drug investigations that
resulted in the arrest of 16 people and the seizure of 5,450 pounds of
processed marijuana, eight vehicles and one vessel. [Dennis Anderson,
Acting CR, AMIS]
02-416 - Buffalo NR (AR) - Drowning
The park was notified of a possible drowning in the river adjacent to
the Tyler Bend walk-in camping area on the afternoon of August 10th.
Responding rangers found visitors administering CPR to a five-year-old
boy. They continued caring for him until ALS personnel arrived shortly
thereafter. The boy was flown to Baxter Regional Hospital, where he was
pronounced dead. An investigation is underway. [Tonya Fell, BUFF]
[Additional reports pending . . . ]
FIRE MANAGEMENT
National Fire Situation
Preparedness Level 5
Initial attack was moderate in the Northwest and northern Rockies on
Sunday and light elsewhere. A total of 499 new starts have been reported
over the past three days. Eleven of these escaped initial attack and
have become large fires. Another dozen large fires have been contained.
Some highlights from today's report:
* The Biscuit Fire on the Siskiyou and Six Rivers NF's has now burned
just over 494,000 acres (up about 4,000 acres since Thursday) and is 90%
contained (up from 65% on Thursday). Resource commitments continue to
drop slowly. There are now just two Type 1 teams (Frye and Vail) on the
fire; Bateman's team has been demobed. Morcom's Type 2 team is now
assigned to the fire. Full containment is forecast for Saturday.
* There are three fire use management teams currently in the field.
Cones' team is assigned to the Quart Mountain Complex on the Okanogan
National Forest; Cook's team is managing the Big Fish Fire on the White
River National Forest and the Lost Lakes Fire on the Routt National
Forest, both in Colorado; Zimmerman's team is working the six-fire Frank
Church Complex on the Salmon-Challis National Forest in Idaho.
* The 150,420 McNally Fire on the Sequoia and Inyo NF's is now 90%
contained, but no estimate for full containment has yet been made.
Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in the following states:
* Continued from last report - Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho,
Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota,
Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
* Added since last report - Virginia.
* Removed since last report - None.
National Resource Commitments
Day Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Date 8/18 8/19 8/20 8/21 8/22 8/23 8/24 8/25
===============================================================================
Crews 622 520 538 532 567 449 435 399
Engines 971 965 1,040 959 936 773 772 746
Helicopters 180 179 162 150 157 138 147 146
Air Tankers 3 2 0 1 1 0 0 1
Overhead 4,613 4,465 4,660 4,591 4,699 4,142 4,006 3,891
Area Commands 1 1 3 3 3 2 2 2
Type 1 IMT 7 7 8 7 7 7 5 6
Type 2 IMT 13 10 8 7 7 8 8 9
T1/T2 S/IMT * 6 5 3 0 0 0 0 0
Fire Use IMT 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3
* Type 1 and Type 2 state incident management teams
# Information not available
National Fire Warnings and Watches
NICC has posted the following for today:
* A RED FLAG WARNING for gusty north to northeast winds and low relative humidity for
southwestern and south central Oregon.
* A FIRE WEATHER WATCH for gusty north to northeast winds and low relative humidity
for the northern Sacramento Valley and surrounding foothills.
Park Fire Situation
Yellowstone NP (MT/WY/ID) - Three new fires were reported on Saturday.
The Tepee Creek Fire was contained at one acre and Columbine Fire was
controlled at a tenth of an acre. The single- tree Flat Mountain Fire
has been declared a wildland fire use fire. The Signal, Big Thumb and
Columbine Fires will be checked with infrared; if no heat is found, they
will be declared out. The Phlox Fire remains at 3,600 acres, with
scattered smokes observed on all flanks. The Broad Fire was reconned by
air and showed two pockets of heat.
Grand Canyon NP (AZ) - The park is currently in extreme fire danger, but
has not yet put any temporary restrictions or closures into place.
Grand Teton NP (WY) - The lightning-started, quarter-acre Nature Fire
was reported at Colter Bay marina. The fire has been contained.
Dinosaur NM (CO) - No activity has been seen on the five small fires
(single tree to several trees) started by lightning last Tuesday and
Wednesday. The fires are under a confinement strategy and will be
monitored.
Mount Rushmore NM (SD) - The Battle Creek Fire (13,200 acres) was
contained on Saturday. Control is expected by this coming Thursday. All
roads are now open, but to residents only.
Glacier NP (MT) - The park is managing one new fire as a wildland fire
use fire. The five that were being monitored last month have received
rain and will be declared out on the next recon flight.
Sequoia and Kings Canyons NP's (CA) - The Slide Fire (35 acres) is still
active and is being managed along with another fire as wildland fire use
fires. Stage 2 fire restrictions are in place in the park. No campfires
will be allowed below 6,000 feet except within designated campground; no
smoking will be allowed below 6,000 feet except within vehicles,
developed areas and developed campgrounds.
Yosemite NP (CA) - The 630-acre Wolf Complex and five smaller fires are
all being managed as wildland fire use fires.
Additional Information
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]
PARKS AND PEOPLE
George Washington Carver NM (MO) - Superintendent William N. Jackson
will be retiring from the park on October 31st after a 36 year career
with the NPS. A retirement dinner is planned for the evening of October
12th at the Precious Moments Convention Center in Carthage, Missouri. If
you plan on attending, please RSVP by September 16th by calling
417-325-4151. If you have any pictures, cards or other mementos that
would like to include in a scrapbook that will be presented to Bill,
please send them along to Christi Lynagh, George Washington Carver NM,
5646 Carver Road, Diamond, MO 64840. [Lana Henry, GWCA]
Colonial NHP (VA) - (CORRECTION: The following appeared in Friday's
Morning Report with the wrong closing date. The actual closing date is
September 5th, not the 15th). The park has an opening for a GS-0560-9/11
budget analyst. The vacancy announcement number COLO-02-14; the closing
date is September 5th. The budget analyst is the technical and
administrative expert in the budget and finance functions at the park
and also assists with purchasing up to the $10,000 per single purchase
level. Colonial National Historical Park is located in southeastern
Virginia on the peninsula formed by the James and York Rivers. It is
composed of two sizable areas, Jamestown Island and the Yorktown
Battlefield, which are connected by the 23-mile-long Colonial Parkway.
The area commemorates the first permanent English settlement in North
America and the last major engagement of the American Revolution.
Williamsburg, Newport News, and Hampton are cities that are nearby and
provide a wide variety of rental units and residences for sale or rent,
as well as other municipal services, including public and private
schools, colleges, and universities. Listed communities also contain a
wide range of medical and dental services; many arts and cultural
organizations; entertainment and recreation; and a wide variety of
shopping centers and malls. If you have questions, please call Sue
Cooper at 757-898-2404. [Patty Tremblay, COLO]
* * * * *
Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the
cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.
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