02-433
Theodore Roosevelt NP (SD)
Visitor Injured by Bison
On the afternoon of August 30th, 70-year-old N.K. of Sierra Madre,
California, encountered a bull bison while walking along the Caprock
Coulee nature trail in the North Unit of the park. N.K. attempted to
back away, but the bison lowered its head and charged before she could
do so, tossing her into the air. She landed about 20 feet away and was
impaled on the broken branch of a bush. N.K. said that she then got up
to get away from the bison and continued up the trail. She figured she
would finish the trail, about another mile and a half, before returning
to her car, but she had second thoughts and turned around to return to
her car and find help. When she did, she again encountered the bison.
She backed up the trail, sat down, and waited for help. About an hour
later, two hikers found her sitting on the edge of the trail. One of the
hikers returned to the trailhead and chased down ranger Kevin Sheffer as
he passed by. The second hiker, a practical nurse, began efforts to
control the bleeding. Rangers Sheffer and Brad Farlinger soon arrived at
the scene. As Farlinger continued first aid, Sheffer attempted to haze
the bison out of the area. When the responding ambulance arrived on
scene, Sheffer decided to put the bison down in order to make the area
safe. N.K. was then carried out to the trailhead by park staff and
ambulance personnel and taken to Mercy Medical Center in Williston,
North Dakota, about 70 miles to the north. N.K. received a goring
injury to the left shoulder and was impaled on the inner right thigh;
she also sustained a number of cuts and abrasions. She is in stable
condition and has received a blood transfusion to replace the large
amount of blood she lost. Doctors hope to release N.K. from the
hospital in a couple of days. This is the first injury involving a bison
in the park since they were introduced in 1962. [Grant Geis, DR, North
Unit, THRO]
02-434
Blue Ridge Parkway
Shooting; Kidnapping, Robbery and Rape
R.S. of Elkton, Virginia, shot D.S. of Waynesboro during
an altercation at the Greenstone Overlook some time before midnight on
August 23rd. D.S. was struck by a single .38 caliber round that
traveled through his torso, entering in front and exiting through his
back. He drove to a local motel, where the desk clerk called 911. D.S.
was taken by helicopter to UVA hospital, where he was last reported in
stable condition. R.S. drove to the Waynesboro Police department to
report the shooting and turn himself in. The exact circumstances of the
altercation are not completely clear, since D.S. had not been
interviewed at the time of the report. During the investigation, rangers
learned from city officers that a man had been abducted, taken to the
parkway, robbed, beaten and raped last November. Augusta County
detectives have been investigating the incident since that time, partly
in the park. This was the first time that anyone in the park had heard
of the incident. [Bruce Bytnar, BLRI]
FIRE MANAGEMENT
FIRE MANAGEMENT
National Fire Situation
Preparedness Level 4
Initial attack was moderate in southern California on Tuesday and light elsewhere. Five of the 186 newly-reported fires escaped initial attack and became large fires; four others were contained. Some highlights from yesterday's report:
• The Biscuit Fire on the Siskiyou and Six Rivers NF's is still 92% contained (same as yesterday). Full containment is still estimated for Friday, September 6th.
• The Curve Fire on the Angeles NF grew from 10,000 acres on Sunday to 14,611 yesterday, but the previously reported extreme fire behavior has moderated. Structure protection is in place for 200 homes; two residences have been lost.
• The newly-reported Leona Fire on the Angeles National Forest (3,200 acres) is being managed by a unified command between the forest and Los Angeles County FD. Extreme fire behavior and rapid rates of spread in grass and brush were observed on Tuesday. Evacuations have been ordered for parts of the Lost Valley and Leona Valley communities. Two residences have been lost.
• The Office Bridge Fire on the Willamette National Forest had burned 140 acres as of yesterday, but was threatening 85 residences, five commercial properties and numerous outbuildings. A three-hour evacuation notice has been given to residents of Westfir and Hemlock.
• A CDF Type 1 team has been assigned to the Squirrel Fire in the Shasta-Trinity Unit in California. Extreme fire behavior is reported. Numerous evacuations and road closures are in effect; structure protection is in place for 500 residences, several commercial properties and 200 outbuildings. One residence has been lost.
• The Commissary Ridge Fire, located 20 miles north of Kemmerer, Wyoming, continues to exhibit extreme fire behavior, with 200-foot flames, fire whirls and spotting up to a half mile ahead of the front. A Type 2 team is assigned. Two subdivisions and a number of homes and cabins have been evacuated. Structure protection is in place for 218 residences.
Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in the following states:
• Continued from last report - Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
• Added since last report - New Mexico.
• Removed since last report - None.
National Resource Commitments
Day Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue
Date 8/27 8/28 8/29 8/30 8/31 9/1 9/2 9/3
================================================================
Crews 386 366 335 367 361 444 305 307
Engines 648 678 548 538 574 706 464 589
Helicopters 143 143 128 148 120 134 107 103
Air Tankers 1 3 2 1 0 3 3 2
Overhead 3,787 3,889 3,536 3,526 2,967 3,295 2,551 2,611
National Team Commitments
New deployments indicated by asterisks.
Area Command Teams
Williams-Rhodes Biscuit Fire, Siskiyou/Six Rivers NR's, OR
Type 1 Teams
Studebaker Curve Fire, Angeles NF, CA
Dash Biscuit Fire, Siskiyou/Six Rivers NF's, OR
Lohrey Tiller Complex and Apple Fire, Umpqua NF, OR
Bennett Mt. Zirkel Complex, Routt NF, CO
Type 2 Teams
Dietrich Lytle Fire, San Bernadino NF, CA (the fire will be turned back over to the forest today)
Morcom Biscuit Fire, Siskiyou/Six Rivers NF's, OR
Gardner * Office Bridge Fire, Willamette NF, OR
Sandman Commissary Ridge Fire, BLM Rock Springs District, WY
Swope Kraft Spring Fire, Custer NF, MT
Suwyn Johnson Fire, Fishlake NF, UT [management of the fire will transfer from Suwyn's team to a Type 3 team today)
State Teams
Furlong/Gormley Biscuit Fire, Siskiyou/Six Rivers NF's, OR
Durden * Squirrel Fire, Shasta-Trinity Unit, CDF, CA
Fire Use Management Teams
Cook Big Fish Fire, White River NF, CO/Lost Lakes Fire, Routt NF, CO
National Fire Warnings and Watches
NICC has posted the following for today:
• A RED FLAG WARNING for breezy, hot, dry and unstable conditions for northeast Wyoming and the Black Hills.
• A FIRE WEATHER WATCH for strong winds and low relative humidity for southeast Oregon.
• A FIRE WEATHER WATCH for thunderstorms, strong winds, and low relative humidity for southern and eastern Idaho.
Park Fire Situation
Grand Teton NP (WY) - A new lightning fire was reported on Monday. It burned less than a tenth of an acre on Hermitage Point and was suppressed.
Bandelier NM (NM) - The park has contained four new lightning fires, none larger than an acre.
Yellowstone NP (WY) - The park reports little activity on any of the previously reported fires.
Mount Rainier NP (WA) - The 10-acre Boulder Fire is still active. The Cold Basin Fire was contained at two acres.
Glacier NP (MT) - The Reach Out Fire, a new lightning fire on the upper slopes of Three Tops Mountain in the Flathead drainage, is being managed for wildland fire use, along with the tenth-of-an-acre Soldier Fire. The latter has shown little activity since rain fell in the area. The park's six other wildland fire use fires are now out.
Sequoia and Kings Canyon NP's (CA) - The Palisade Fire, which is being managed for wildland fire use, has grown to about 1,600 acres. It's expected to continue growing to the west until season-ending moisture arrives. Two other fires are also being managed for wildland fire uses.
Yosemite NP (CA) - The 780-acre Wolf Fire has reached the White Wolf access road. Several spot fires have been suppressed to the east of the road. This and a number of other small fires are being managed for resource benefits.
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Ranger Activities Division, WASO (DC)
A memorial service and interment was held yesterday afternoon at Arlington National Cemetery for late NPS chief ranger Chris Andress, who died of cancer on March 4th. The ceremony was attended by about 200 family members, friends, and colleagues, including an honor guard of about 50 uniformed rangers and USPP officers. Following a short service at the chapel, during which Chris's three children offered tributes to him, Chris's ashes were interred in the Arlington National Cemetery Columbarium with full military honors, including a 21-gun salute.
Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found on the left side of the front page of InsideNPS. All reports should be submitted via email to Bill Halainen at Delaware Water Gap NRA, with a copy to your regional office and a copy to Dennis Burnett in Division of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, WASO.
Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.