INCIDENTS

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Yosemite National Park (CA)
Four-Vehicle Accident with Fifteen Visitors Injured

On the afternoon of July 11th, a four-vehicle, multi-casualty accident occurred on the Wawona Road near Avalanche Creek. The accident involved two vans, a sedan and an SUV that collectively had 16 occupants. The SUV rolled over in the crash. A parkwide response ensued that included three fire engines, six ambulances (four from the park, two from outside the park), and nine rangers. Fifteen of the 16 sustained injuries, ranging from minor cuts and lacerations to broken clavicles and head injuries. Due to the violence of the accident, 14 were transported on backboards; 10 were taken to Yosemite Medical Clinic and the other five were transported to hospitals in Mariposa and Oakhurst. One of the victims taken to the park clinic was subsequently flown out to a regional hospital. The highway was closed for more than two hours.
[Submitted by Cameron Sholly, Incident Commander]

Mount Rushmore National Memorial (SD)
Badlands Employee Injured in Climbing Accident

S.B., 23, a seasonal protection ranger at Badlands NP, fell 20 feet while climbing near the Chopping Block on July 21st and sustained a broken wrist that will require surgery. He was taken to a hospital in Rapid City.
[Submitted by Amanda Holder, Telecommunications Operator]

Mammoth Cave National Park (KY)
Arson Arrest; Damages to Government Building

Rangers were paged by staff at the Great Onyx Job Corps Center at 11 p.m. on July 19th and asked to investigate an alleged arson fire. Rangers Eddie Wells and Brian Sacia investigated the incident, which occurred in the center's cafeteria building. The Lincoln Volunteer Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire. The rear of the building was damaged in the blaze. The rangers interviewed several Job Corps students who were present in the area at the time of the fire and were subsequently able to positively identify two suspects — N.F. and a juvenile male. During interviews, both admitted to setting fire to the building. They apparently planned to gain access to the secured building through a rear plexiglass window by burning the window frame with a butane cigarette lighter. Both were arrested and face felony arson charges under 18 USC 81. On July 23rd, they appeared in federal court in Bowling Green for their initial appearance and were released on $25,000 unsecured bond.
[Submitted by Wayne Elliott, Chief Ranger]

Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area (WA)
Two Drownings

B.B., 42, of Kettle Falls, was last seen in the Kettle River Campground on July 4th. The park received a missing person report two days later and immediately began a search for him. On July 7th, his body was found floating just down the river from the campground. B.B. had been drinking most of the day and through the early evening; the delay in the report occurred, according to his companions, because B.B. had a habit of walking away from areas while drinking, then returning a day or two later. On July 19th, the park received a report of a man missing in the lake. K.B., 23, had last been seen around midnight in about two feet of water, trying to retrieve a football that had been thrown into the lake. A search was conducted through much of the night, then resumed early in the morning. A county dive team arrived on scene that afternoon. K.B.'s body was found and retrieved about a mile east of Fort Spokane on the Spokane River. K.B. and his companions had been drinking all day prior to the incident. Although it is probable that he drowned, an autopsy is being conducted to confirm the cause of death.
[Submitted by Dan Mason]

Petroglyph National Monument (NM)
Body Found in Park

Ranger Jeff Budny was patrolling near the park boundary on the afternoon of July 25th when he came upon an unoccupied pickup parked off a dirt road in an area popular for criminal activity, including drug use and the dumping of stolen vehicles. Budny found the body of a man within the truck; he and ranger Matt Fuller secured the area until Albuquerque PD and a state medical investigator could arrive. An empty syringe was found inside the truck. Investigators determined that the man had recently been ill, that he was experimenting with drugs, and that he may have overdosed.
[Submitted by Jeff Budny, Acting Chief Ranger]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

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National Interagency Fire Center
NIFC Situation Report - Monday, July 28, 2003

Preparedness Level 5

Over a thousand new fires were reported over the weekend — 368 on Friday, 337 on Saturday, and 332 on Sunday. Five new large fires were reported yesterday.

On Saturday, a helicopter crashed while responding to a fire on the White Mountain Apache Reservation near Aspen Ridge, Arizona. The pilot and a crew member were killed.

Fire Danger

Day	7/23	7/24	7/25	7/26	7/27	7/28
Alaska	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
Arizona	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
California	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
Colorado	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
Hawaii	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
Idaho	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
Montana	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
Nevada	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
New Mexico	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
Oklahoma	--	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
Oregon	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
South Dakota	--	--	--	VX	VX	--
Texas	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
Utah	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
Washington	VX	VX	VX	VX	--	VX
Wyoming	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX

VH — Very high
EX — Extreme
VX — Very high to extreme

Fire Weather Watches and Warnings

No watches or warnings have been posted for today.

National Resource Commitments

Day	7/22	7/23	7/24	7/25	7/26	7/27	7/28
Crews	536	535	475	540	536	538	494
Engines	1,085	881	925	1,023	983	1,007	865
Helicopters	164	176	160	166	162	166	170
Air Tankers	3	4	2	3	5	4	6
Overhead	3,159	3,528	3,951	3,436	3,437	3,337	3,829

National Team Commitments

New team commitments or changes in teams are indicated in bold face.

State	Type Team	Team IC	Fire/Location	Acres	Percent Contain	Est Full Contain
ID	ACT	Ribar	Salmon-Challis NF Fires	---	---	---
MT	ACT	Mann	Flathead NF/Glacier NP Fires	---	---	---
MT	T1	Stam	Robert Fire Flathead NF/Glacier NP	9,30	0%	UNK
MT	T1	Raley	Trapper Creek Complex Glacier NP	16,500	35%	9/5
WA	T1 ST	Anderson/ Furlong/ Ghormley	Fawn Peak Complex Okanogan-Wenatchee NF	68,539	35%	UNK
MT	T1	Bennett	Wedge Canyon Fire Flathead NF	18,850	5%	8/18
MT	T1	Frye	Black Frog Complex Bitterroot NF	8,000	25%	UNK
ID	T1	Martin	Cramer Fire Salmon-Challis NF	5,614	60%	7/31
ID	T1	Sexton	Hot Creek Fire Boise NF	19,489	15%	UNK
CA	ST1	Henson/ Walker	Canyon Fire Riverside Unit	4,300	80%	7/28
CA	ST1	Singer	Hauser Fire Los Angeles County	2,044	100%	CND
MT	T2	Sandman	Ross Creek Fire Kootenai NF	142	35%	UNK
ID	T2	Kechter	Hunt Creek Fire State Lands	300	20%	7/30
UT	T2	Suwyn	Joe Hatch Fire Moab FO, BLM	165	0%	UNK
CA	T2	Wendt	Ackley Fire Modoc NF	6,000	50%	UNK
WY	T2	Blume	Ditch Creek Fire Bighorn NF	370	50%	7/31
SD	ST2	Jones	Red Point Fire Black Hills NF	15,500	40%	7/30
CA	T2	Dietrich McCormick	Basin Fire Sequoia NF	1,200	90%	7/28
CA	T2	Wendt	Smoke Complex N. Cal. District, BLM	8,010	100%	CND
CO	T2	Saleen	Maverick Fire West Slope Center, BLM	1,161	100%	CND
MT	T2	Swope	Big Creek Fire Bitterroot NF	1,339	80%	UNK
ID	T2	Muir	Crystal Creek Fire Salmon-Challis NF	1,319	60%	UNK
CO	T2	Perkins	Bolt Fire Southern Ute Reservation	2,160	100%	CND
MT	T2	Chrisman	Hidden Lake Fire Beaverhead/Deerlodge NF	2,500	35%	UNK
ID	T2	Benes	Slims Fire Nez Perce NF	2,200	15%	UNK
MT	T2	Gray	Missouri Breaks Complex Miles City FO, BLM	130,927	100%	CND
WY	T2	Kearney	Big Spring Fire Casper FO, BLM	2,700	90%	7/29
WY	--	To T3 team	Deep Lake Fire Shoshone NF	6,886	55%	9/15
CO	--	--	Balcony House Complex Mesa Verde NP	2,750	35%	8/15
NM	--	To T3 team	Spruce Complex Gila NF	9,452	50%	UNK
OR	T2	Gardner	Clark Fire Willamette NF	4,964	70%	7/30
OR	ST	Hoff	18 Fire Deschutes NF	3,809	100%	CND
WA	ST	Jennings	McGinnis Flats Fire Colville Agency	2,233	70%	7/30
MT	FUM	Wirt	Little Salmon Creek Complex Flathead NF	250	N/A	N/A
NM	FUM	Cones	Dry Lake Complex Gila NF	94,580	N/A	N/A
NM	FUM	Cones	Turnbo Fire Gila NF	18,505	NR	UNK

Zion National Park (UT)
Timber Top Fire Use Complex (Wildland Fire,Wildland Fire Use)

Two lightning-ignited wildland fires (Timber Top Mountain and Nagunt Mesa) are burning in mixed brush,fir and ponderosa pine on isolated mesa tops (Research Natural Areas)in the northern section of the park. Due to their location, they are being managed as FIRE USE FIRES. There are no resource values presently at risk. Both fires are being monitored from the ground and air by park personnel. (full report)
The fire is showing moderate activity and is visible from a distance at night. Most of the fuels on the mesa tops (95% of Nagunt and 75% of Timber Top) have been consumed, but many hot spots remains. Monitoring will continue.
Status
The LaVerkin Creek Trail is closed until further notice.
Acreage: 155-acres total
Resources Committed: 10-15 personnel and air support for recon.
Estimated containment date: July 28, 2003[Submitted by David Eaker, david_eaker@nps.gov, 435-772-7811]

Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (CA)
Coffeepot Fire (Wildland Fire)

Firefighters worked through last night constructing fireline. Helicopters are dropping water on the fire today and shuttling more firefighters to the scene. This lightning-caused fire was discovered on July 26 on a ridge between Coffeepot Canyon and Eden Creek, approximately 10 air miles east of Kaweah Lake. (full report)
Status
General park operations are normal.
Acreage: 15-20 acres
Resources Committed: two 20-person handcrews and two helicopters
Estimated containment date: July 27, 2003[Submitted by Jody Lyle, jody_lyle@nps.gov, (559) 565-3703]

Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (CA)
Oriole Lake Mechanical Fuel Reduction Project (Prescribed Mechanical Treatment)

The project is progressing as planned near the small cabin community of Oriole Lake, north of the Mineral King Road near Paradise Ridge. (full report)
Acreage: 20 acres of mechanical treatment (not burned)
Estimated containment date: early August[Submitted by Jody Lyle, jody_lyle@nps.gov, (559) 565-3703]

Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (CA)
Barton Fire Use Project (Wildland Fire,Wildland Fire Use)

The fire is burnning on the ground and in a large tree at the base of a 9,500-ft. talus slope. It is on the west side of Barton Peak. (full report)
Acreage: Less than one acre.
Estimated containment date: unknown[Submitted by Jody Lyle, jody_lyle@nps.gov, (559) 565-3703]

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.