Denali National Park & Preserve (AK)
Plane Crash with Four Fatalities on Mount Hunter
A McKinley Air Service Cessna 185 with four people aboard crashed in
South Hunter Pass on Mount Hunter some time between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. on
Wednesday, May 28th. Talkeetna resident K.M., 35, co-owner of
McKinley Air Service, was the pilot of the Cessna. K.M. was flying
two climbers — Alaska Mountaineering School guide B.A.,
39, and AMS client M.W., 31 — to the Kahiltna base camp,
and also had a scenic tour passenger — C.D. —
on board. The two mountaineers were intending to climb Sultana Ridge on
Mount Foraker. The NPS was notified of the downed plane just before 3
p.m. on Wednesday. Rangers flew to the scene in the NPS-contracted Lama
helicopter and confirmed that all four had perished in the crash. The
plane was found on relatively flat terrain at the 8,200-foot level of
the mountain. Park personnel and an NTSB investigator subsequently flew
to the site to remove the bodies and begin an investigation. The state
medical examiner will conduct an autopsy of K.M. as part of the
standard accident investigation. Skies were generally clear at the time
of the crash, with unknown wind conditions in the vicinity of South
Hunter pass.
[Submitted by John Quinley, Public Affairs Officer]
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park (KY)
Attempted Flight Leads to Drowning
Ranger Greg Mullin stopped a vehicle at the Cumberland Gap Tunnel for
a routine equipment violation on May 18th. Midway through the stop, the
driver suddenly started the car at the same time as a female passenger
jumped from it and ran toward Mullin. The driver, identified as Greg
Houston, fled into the neighboring county and eventually drove his car
into the Powell River, where an officer saw him swimming downstream.
When Houston failed to appear after two days, local rescue crews began
to drag the river. On May 23rd, his body was found a mile downstream.
The local sheriff's office is investigating. Houston had warrants on him
in both Kentucky and Tennessee. Rangers later learned that the vehicle
had been seen earlier that day in the area where a mobile
methamphetamine lab had been seized by county authorities.
[Submitted by Charlie Chadwell, Chief Ranger]
Lowell National Historical Park (MA)
Three Arrested for Homicide in Park
Lowell PD received a call reporting gunshots from the rear of Market
Mills apartments around 1:20 a.m. on May 15th. The apartments abut
Lowell NHP's visitor parking lot. Police found the body of resident
K.D. on the sidewalk in the lot. He'd been killed by a
single gunshot to his head. The section of the lot where he was found is
a privately-owned tract on which the federal government owns an
easement. Lowell police subsequently arrested three people in connection
with K.D.'s murder. The motive for the shooting appears to be
drug-related. The suspects — a homeless couple and a juvenile
— will be tried in county district court. NPS special agent Glenn
Van Neil and the FBI are assisting with the investigation.
[Submitted by Dave Redding]
FIRE MANAGEMENT
National Interagency Fire Center
NIFC Situation Report - Friday, May 30, 2003
Preparedness Level 2
Initial attack was light everywhere on Thursday. A total of 118 new fires were reported, three of which became large fires — two in northern California and one in Texas.
Fire Danger
| State |
5/25 |
5/26 |
5/27 |
5/28 |
5/29 |
5/30 |
| Alaska |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
VX |
VX |
| Arizona |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
| California |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
| Colorado |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
-- |
VX |
| Michigan |
-- |
VX |
VX |
VX |
-- |
-- |
| Minnesota |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
VX |
VX |
| Nevada |
VX |
VX |
-- |
-- |
-- |
VX |
| New Mexico |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
| Oklahoma |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
| Texas |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
| Utah |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
VX |
VX |
| Wisconsin |
-- |
VX |
VX |
-- |
-- |
-- |
VH — Very high
EX — Extreme
VX — Very high to extreme
Fire Weather Watches and Warnings
No warnings or watches have been posted for today.
National Resource Commitments
| Day |
5/25 |
5/26 |
5/27 |
5/28 |
5/29 |
5/30 |
| Crews |
15 |
16 |
23 |
30 |
50 |
68 |
| Engines |
45 |
27 |
44 |
40 |
73 |
76 |
| Helicopters |
5 |
4 |
7 |
5 |
11 |
12 |
| Air Tankers |
3 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
| Overhead |
430 |
423 |
483 |
442 |
525 |
579 |
National Team Commitments
| State |
Type Team |
Team IC |
Fire |
Acres |
Percent Contain |
Est Full Contain |
| AK |
T2 |
Kurth |
Rex Bridge/State lands |
1,500 |
100% |
CND |
| AK |
T2 |
Reed |
Tok River/State lands |
2,960 |
20% |
6/4 |
| AZ |
T2 |
Kvale |
Cimarron/Coronado NF |
191 |
100% |
CND |
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (HI)
Luhi Fire
Lava from Kilauea Volcano started the Luhi Fire, which is burning in grass, brush and rain forest. The fires has burned 4,235 acres and is 40% contained. Extreme fire behavior was observed yesterday due to very low relative humidity. Sections of the fire burned out when they reached old lava flows, however, and full containment is expected by Sunday. Forty-two firefighters and overhead are assigned to the fire; four helicopters have been committed.
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Big Bend National Park (TX)
Two Ranger Positions
The park has two openings within its ranger ranks:
- GS-025-7/9 protection ranger, serving in the Santa Elena District. Qualified candidates interested in a lateral transfer are being sought. Duties include wildland and structural fire, EMS, SAR, backcountry and horse patrol, and a full ranger of visitor and resource protection assignments within the 800,000-acre park.
- GS-025-11/12 supervisor park ranger/law enforcement specialist. Duties include direction and oversight of special law enforcement and drug interdiction operations in conjunction with other federal, state and local LE agencies within the West Texas HIDTA (high intensity drug trafficking area). The person selected will also serve as court liaison, supervise the park communications center, serve as the park's radio system coordinator, and provide professional level technical consultation to park management and field rangers on resource and visitor protection issues. She/he also serves as a member of the park's SAR team, structural fire brigade, and EMS program. The announcement is open until June 12th.
For further information on the former, contact Kathi Hambly, district ranger, at 915-477-2225; for info on the latter, call Mark Spier, chief ranger, at 432-477-1185.
[Submitted by Mark Spier, Chief Ranger]
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.