Yosemite National Park (CA)
Rescue Of Injured Hiker Near Vernal Falls
On the afternoon of June 17th, Yosemite dispatch received a 911 call
from a visitor on a cell phone reporting an injured hiker on a rock slab
near the Emerald Pool, just above the Vernal Falls spillover. Ranger
Laura Pearson was first on scene, She found that G.F., 39, from
Germany, was suffering from an open fracture of his left elbow, a
severely angulated left ankle, and various other injures. G.F. had been
scrambling by himself on the rocky ledges above the pool when he fell
and tumbled approximately 150 feet before stopping. Still out of sight
or earshot of anyone, he then crawled a significant distance out into
the open where, after almost two hours, he was able to get the attention
of other hikers. Due to G.F.'s location and the severity of his
injuries, additional rescuers were flown into the area in the park's
contract helicopter. G.F.'s injuries were stabilized and he was
packaged for extrication. A California Highway Patrol helicopter was
used to hoist the patient off of the slab and fly him to Yosemite
Valley, where he was met by a helicopter air ambulance and flown to a
Modesto trauma center.
[Submitted by Chad Andrews, Park Ranger]
Yosemite National Park (CA)
Injured Hiker Rescued From Tenaya Canyon
G.B.-B., 18, of Saint Louis Missouri fell while hiking
cross-country down Tenaya Canyon around 4 p.m. on Friday, June 20th.
When G.B.-B. reached "the Narrows", a steep narrow section of the
canyon, he was unable to continue without technical gear due to the
vertical terrain. He traversed out onto the canyon wall and located a
fixed rope which had been abandoned on an overhanging cliff. When he
attempted to descend the rope hand-over-hand, he fell off, landing in a
pool of water and breaking his right femur. G.B.-B. was able to
crawl out of the water and used his cell phone, which miraculously
survived both the fall and the water, to dial 911. Rescuers flew to the
area aboard the park's contract helicopter and spotted Bailey lying on a
ledge. A landing area was found about a quarter mile away in the bottom
of the canyon below the narrows. SAR personnel scrambled up to
G.B.-B.'s position. He was packaged in a vacuum body splint and
litter and hoisted from the ledge by a California Highway Patrol
helicopter and taken to Yosemite Valley. An AirMed helicopter then took
him to the hospital in Modesto.
[Submitted by Jack Hoeflich,
Incident Commander]
Big Bend National Park (TX)
Falling Fatality
J.H.G., 52, of San Antonio, Texas, died in a hundred
foot fall from the South Rim trail in the Chisos Mountains on June 21st.
J.H.G. arrived in the park the day before and stopped at the visitor
center to ask about hiking to the South Rim. Visitors to the South Rim
found items near the rim's edge belonging to the victim on the 21st,
then discovered his body about 100 feet below the rim's edge. They hiked
down late that evening and reported the death. An investigative team
hiked to the scene early on the morning of June 22nd and confirmed
J.H.G.'s death. A recovery team comprised of staff from all park
divisions recovered the body.
[Submitted by David Elkowitz, PIO]
Little River Canyon National Preserve (AL)
Boy Bitten By Copperhead
A 15 year-old boy was bitten by a copperhead at the Canyon Mouth day
use area on the afternoon of Saturday, June 21st. The boy and his
family, visiting from Georgia, were returning form a popular upstream
swimming area when they encountered the snake on the trail. The boy
attempted to move the copperhead with his bare foot and was bitten on
his right foot. He was treated by park guide Teresa Smith and paramedic
Valerie Saferite and transported by Cherokee EMS ambulance to De Kalb
Baptist Medical Center in Fort Payne, Alabama. He was kept in their ICU
overnight and released the following day.
[Submitted by Valerie
Saferite, EMS Coordinator]
FIRE MANAGEMENT
National Interagency Fire Center
NIFC Situation Report - Tuesday, June 24, 2003
Preparedness Level 2
Initial attack was light yesterday, with 120 new fires reported.
Fire Danger
|
Day |
6/19 |
6/20 |
6/21 |
6/22 |
6/23 |
6/24 |
|
Alaska |
-- |
-- |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
|
Arizona |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
|
California |
VX |
-- |
VX |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
Colorado |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
|
Idaho |
VX |
VX |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
Nevada |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
|
N. Hampshire |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
VX |
|
New Mexico |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
|
Oklahoma |
-- |
VX |
-- |
VX |
VX |
VX |
|
Oregon |
VX |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
Texas |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
|
Utah |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
|
Washington |
VX |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
Wyoming |
-- |
VX |
-- |
-- |
-- |
VH — Very high
EX — Extreme
VX — Very high to extreme
Fire Weather Watches and Warnings
FIRE WEATHER WATCHES have been issued for:
- Strong winds, low relative humidity and high Haines incides for the lower elevations of west-southwest Colorado and south-central Colorado
- Strong winds and low relative humidity in southeast Utah.
- Strong southwest winds, low humidity and high to extreme fire danger for much of northern Arizona.
- Strong southwest winds, low humidity and high to extreme fire danger in northwest and southeast Arizona.
RED FLAG WARNINGS have been issued for:
- Strong winds and low relative humidity in southern-most Utah
- Low humidity, low fuel moisture levels and strong north winds for the central and northern Sacramento Valley
National Resource Commitments
|
Day |
6/18 |
6/19 |
6/20 |
6/21 |
6/22 |
6/23 |
6/24 |
|
Crews |
105 |
131 |
132 |
135 |
130 |
131 |
135 |
|
Engines |
188 |
198 |
180 |
164 |
122 |
123 |
85 |
|
Helicopters |
45 |
36 |
34 |
39 |
31 |
41 |
36 |
|
Air Tankers |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
|
Overhead |
286 |
410 |
993 |
1,129 |
1,192 |
1,288 |
805 |
National Team Commitments
|
State |
Type Team |
Team IC |
Fire/Location |
Acres |
Percent Contain |
Est Full Contain |
|
AZ |
T1 |
Humphrey |
Aspen Fire Coronado NF |
19,500 |
15% |
UNK |
|
AZ |
T1 |
Oltrogge |
Picture Fire Tonto NF |
12,286 |
60% |
6/26 |
|
AZ |
T2 |
Raley |
Helen 2 Fire Saguaro NP |
933 |
35% |
6/26 |
|
AZ |
T2 |
Bradley |
Ash Fire Coronado NF |
560 |
75% |
6/24 |
|
NM |
T2 |
Mullinex |
Jenny Fire Gila NF |
210 |
30% |
UNK |
|
NM |
FUM |
Goheen |
Dry Lakes Complex Gila NF |
27,400 |
0% |
UNK |
|
AZ |
FUM |
Kitchen |
Powell Fire Grand Canyon NP |
690 |
0% |
UNK |
Saguaro National Park (AZ)
Helen 2 Fire (Wildland Fire)
On Wednesday afternoon at 4:00 p.m., dry lightning strikes ignited the Helen #2
Fire located in the Rincon Mountains north of Helen's Dome and west of Spud Rock. The fire is at an elevation of 7,300 - 8,400 feet and is burning on the ground in oak/pine and mixed coniferous forests (full report)
Status
Trailheads Closed:
Douglas Spring Trailhead and Parking Lot (at the east end of Speedway Blvd) will be closed due to helicopter support operations. However, the Douglas Spring Trail will be open up to the Douglas Spring Campground and can be accessed from the Wildhorse Trailhead.
Trails Closed:
Douglas Spring Trail from Douglas Spring Campground south
Turkey Creek Trail
Trails Partially Closed:
Manning Camp Trail east of Grass Shack Campground
Cow Head Saddle Trail east of Cow Head Saddle
Heartbreak Ridge/Arizona Trail north of Rincon Creek Trail
Italian Springs Trail south of the Forest Service boundary
Campgrounds Closed:
Manning Camp Campground
Spud Rock Spring Campground
Acreage: 887
Resources Committed: 2 Type II Helicopters
1 Type III Helicopter
8 Hotshot crews
6 Hand crews
Total of 406 personnel on scene
Estimated containment date: Estimated 6/28/2003[Submitted by Chuck Scott, chuck_scott@nps.gov, 520 733-5130]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Washington Office
Information Solicited on Park Fourth of July Events
An area command team (Skip Brooks, area commander) has been assigned to the Washington Office to assist the NPS in coordination of several large July Fourth events. Individual incident management teams have been assigned to events being held at Mount Rushmore, Jefferson Expansion and Independence. The area command team will be working out of Shenandoah National Park, from June 27th through July 7th. If your park is planning a significant July Fourth event or know of events adjacent to or nearby that have the potential to impact park operations, the area command team would appreciate hearing from you. The team is already aware of the events planned at Colonial, Antietam, and Fort Vancouver. Please send information to either Bob Love (bob_love@nps.gov) or Greg Stiles (greg_stiles@nps.gov).
[Submitted by Bob Love]
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.