Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Indictment for Assault on Ranger
On June 24th, ranger Joe Pond stopped a car in the park for traffic
violations. The driver, D.H., 37, was acting suspiciously, so
Pond attempted to frisk him. D.H. resisted the frisk and ended up
struggling with Pond, who took D.H. to the ground. D.H. continued to
resist, attempting to remove Pond's pistol. Pond sprayed D.H. several
times with OC spray. D.H. continued his resistance for a short time,
knocking the OC from Pond's hand, before Pond gained control and
handcuffed him. D.H. was treated for OC exposure. A search of his car
led to the discovery of marijuana and a number of firearms in the trunk.
Investigation revealed that D.H. was a convicted felon who was wanted
in Tennessee on several counts of attempted murder. The incident was
recorded on the patrol vehicle's in-car video system. On August 4th,
D.H. was indicted for assaulting, resisting and opposing a federal
officer, drug possession, and weapons possession by a convicted felon.
The state of Tennessee will prosecute D.H. when the federal
prosecution is completed.
[Submitted by John Mattox, Special
Agent]
Zion National Park (UT)
Arrest for Illegal Helicopter Overflight
On August 13th, the park received numerous reports of a helicopter
flying extremely low in the Zion Canyon area. Ranger Brent McGinn
responded along with the chief of police for nearby Springdale and
determined that a helicopter had landed outside the park boundary and
picked up a passenger. The helicopter then flew over the park and up the
main canyon at an altitude estimated to have been less than 200 feet off
the canyon floor. The helicopter then departed, flying over the Kolob
Terrace and Parunuweap Canyon sections of the park. McGinn and the
Springdale chief waited for the helicopter to return and drop off the
passenger, but the pilot saw them waiting and departed, disembarking the
passenger approximately a mile away before heading for the airport in
St. George. St. George police assisted by holding the pilot and three
additional passengers until McGinn could arrive. When contacted, the
pilot, R.V., refused to produce his pilot's license as required.
R.V. was arrested and transported to jail without further incident.
R.V. has been charged with two counts of interfering with an agency
function, violation of FAA minimum flight altitudes, and violation of
the National Parks Air Tour Management Act.
[Submitted by Brent
McGinn, District Ranger, Canyon District]
Death Valley National Park (CA)
Rescue from Under Overturned Vehicle
An accident occurred on Highway 190 near Stovepipe Wells on August
14th in which a person was partially ejected and trapped underneath his
overturned vehicle. Rangers and visitors used vehicle jacks and tires to
stabilize the vehicle while bystander Dr. R.R. of Slovenia
and NPS EMT Ron Giblin provided patient care. Ranger Aaron Shandor and
an unnamed visitor used their hands and shovels to dig under the vehicle
and reach the victim. After sufficient space was made under the vehicle,
personnel from resource management, maintenance, and interpretation
continued extrication. The victim suffered from chest injuries, many
deep lacerations, internal injuries, and first and second degree contact
burns from the desert floor (in excess of 130 degrees). Air ambulance
paramedics credited NPS personnel with saving the man's life. Shandor
was the IC for this incident. This was the second vehicle accident
within the last eight days that caused life-threatening injuries to
occupants not wearing seatbelts.
[Submitted by Chief Ranger's
Office]
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (AZ,UT)
Drowning in Last Chance Bay
On the afternoon of August 12th, dispatch received a marine band
radio call reporting that a 15-year-old girl who'd been swimming behind
a houseboat was missing in Last Chance Bay. The park's underwater
recovery team was called in to search for the girl, who had last been
seen at a point where the lake is between 190 and 400 feet deep. The
park's remote operated underwater recovery unit and a side-scanning
sonar device were employed in the effort. It wasn't until August 15th
that her body was found at a depth of 383 feet. It appears that she was
swimming behind an idling houseboat when a monsoon-type storm hit the
area, causing high waves to blow up on the lake. All indications are
that carbon monoxide poisoning was not a factor. Ranger Jared St. Clair
was IC for this complicated search operation; Pat Horning headed the
underwater recovery team.
[Submitted by Mike Mayer, Acting Chief
Ranger]
Independence National Historical Park (PA)
Special Event: Visit by Attorney General
On August 20th, Attorney General John Ashcroft, visited the park and
used the newly-built National Constitution Center to launch a month-long
nationwide tour on behalf of the USA Patriot Act. In attendance were
roughly 200 local, state, and federal law enforcement officials and many
media representatives. A group called "Unite for Peace" gathered outside
the center and remained there during the entire event. The 50 protestors
rallied against the act by holding banners, giving speeches, and
marching in circles. There were no arrests, and no injuries were
reported. After meeting with reporters, Ashcroft immediately left
Philadelphia and headed for Ohio. Rangers from numerous surrounding
Northeast Region parks were brought in to help provide security during
the event.
[Submitted by Ian Crane, District Ranger, Core
District]
FIRE MANAGEMENT
National Interagency Fire Center
NIFC Situation Report - Friday, August 22, 2003
Preparedness Level 5
Initial attack was heavy in the northern Rockies and light elsewhere. Eight of the 239 newly-reported fires escaped initial attack and have become large fires. Another six large fires were contained.
An interagency training cadre and military crew advisors travel to Fort Hood, Texas, today to begin training soldiers as firefighters. The Army contingent, which has been designated Task Force Steel Dragon, will be committed to the Fish Creek Fire.
Fire Danger
|
Day |
8/13 |
8/18 |
8/19 |
8/20 |
8/21 |
8/22 |
|
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 |
|
Minnesota |
-- |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
|
Montana |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
|
Nevada |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
|
New Mexico |
VX |
VX |
VX |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
North Dakota |
-- |
-- |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
|
Oklahoma |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
|
Oregon |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
|
South Dakota |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
|
Texas |
VX |
VX |
VX |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
Utah |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
-- |
-- |
|
Washington |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
|
Wyoming |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX |
VX = Very high to extreme danger
Fire Weather Watches and Warnings
FIRE WEATHER WATCHES have been issued for dry and wet thunderstorms and gusty winds for west central Montana west of the divide, all Montana east of the divide, and western North Dakota.
A RED FLAG WARNING has been issued for dry and wet thunderstorms and gusty winds for Montana west of the divide.
National Resource Commitments
|
Day |
8/12 |
8/13 |
8/18 |
8/19 |
8/20 |
8/21 |
8/22 |
|
Crews |
309 |
368 |
507 |
503 |
541 |
569 |
550 |
|
Engines |
769 |
763 |
954 |
1,005 |
1,065 |
1,134 |
1,226 |
|
Helicopters |
161 |
144 |
171 |
169 |
157 |
174 |
174 |
|
Air Tankers |
6 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
|
Overhead |
2,608 |
3,227 |
4,738 |
4,799 |
4,643 |
4,869 |
5,170 |
National Team Commitments
Teams are listed alphabetically by type. 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 |
|
MT |
ACT |
Greenhoe |
Lolo NF/Bitterroot NF Fires |
--- |
--- |
--- |
|
MT |
ACT |
Mann |
Flathead NF/Glacier NP Fires |
--- |
--- |
--- |
|
MT |
ACT |
Ribar |
Montana Fires |
--- |
--- |
--- |
|
MT |
ACT |
Rounsaville |
Montana Fires |
--- |
--- |
--- |
|
OR |
T1 |
Anderson |
B&B Complex Deschutes NF |
10,900 |
0 |
UNK |
|
MT |
T1 |
Bennett |
Mineral/Primm Fire State Lands |
16,000 |
20 |
UNK |
|
MT |
T1 |
Ferguson |
Robert Fire Flathead NF/Glacier NP |
44,003 |
50 |
9/20 |
|
MT |
T1 |
Ferguson |
Middle Fork Complex Glacier NP |
542 |
0 |
9/15 |
|
MT |
T1 |
Ferguson |
Beta Lake — Doris Fires Flathead NF |
235 |
0 |
9/15 |
|
MT |
T1 |
Ferguson Hart |
Trapper Creek Complex Glacier NP |
25,098 |
65 |
9/5 |
|
ID |
T1 |
Frye |
Beaver Lake Complex Clearwater NF |
18,847 |
30 |
UNK |
|
MT |
T1 |
Gelobter |
Black Mountain 2 State Lands |
6,750 |
55 |
UNK |
|
MT |
T1 |
Hart |
Wedge Canyon Fire Flathead NF |
41,887 |
60 |
9/15 |
|
MT |
T1 |
Humphrey |
Cathedral Peak Fire Custer NF |
1,110 |
3 |
UNK |
|
ID |
T1 |
Martin |
Canyon Creek Fire Boise NF |
5,475 |
90 |
8/22 |
|
ID |
T1 |
Oltrogge |
Rough Draw Complex Gallatin NF |
2,588 |
15 |
UNK |
|
MT |
T1 |
Stam |
Craig II Fire N. Cheyenne Agency |
9,180 |
90 |
8/22 |
|
MT |
T1 |
Studebaker |
Lincoln Complex Helena NF |
32,145 |
8 |
UNK |
|
MT |
T1 |
Vail |
Crazy Horse Fire Flathead NF |
10,092 |
30 |
UNK |
|
WY |
T2 |
-- |
Boulder Basin 2 Shoshone NF |
10,000 |
0 |
9/15 |
|
WA |
T2 |
-- |
Wlcox Fire Okanogan/Wenatchee NF |
300 |
40 |
8/23 |
|
ID |
T2 |
Beauchamp |
Milepost 59 Fire State Lands |
8,139 |
60 |
UNK |
|
MT |
T2 |
Benes |
Fish Creek Fire Lolo NF |
24,220 |
0 |
UNK |
|
MT |
T2 |
Berndt |
Strawberry Complex Lolo NF |
1,021 |
80 |
8/22 |
|
MT |
T2 |
Blume |
Winslow Fire State Lands |
10,115 |
25 |
UNK |
|
MT |
T2 |
Dietrich |
Cherry Creek Complex Lolo NF |
4,067 |
72 |
UNK |
|
WY |
T2 |
Gardner |
East Complex Yellowstone NP |
20,500 |
18 |
UNK |
|
MT |
T2 |
Hendricks |
Burnt Ridge/Sheep Camp Complex Lewis and Clark NF |
1,614 |
39 |
UNK |
|
MT |
T2 |
Hoff |
Boles Meadow Fire State Lands |
4,050 |
75 |
8/23 |
|
ID |
T2 |
Kechter |
Sapp Fire Nez Perce NF |
9,200 |
0 |
UNK |
|
MT |
T2 |
Larsen |
Hobble Fire State Lands |
38,320 |
95 |
8/23 |
|
OR |
T2 |
Morcum |
Lightning Complex Wallowa-Whitman NF |
5,000 |
5 |
8/25 |
|
ID |
T2 |
Muir |
Withington Fire Salmon-Challis NF |
10,500 |
90 |
8/22 |
|
WY |
T2 |
Mullinex |
N. Bighorn Complex Bighorn NF |
8,250 |
75 |
8/22 |
|
MT |
T2 |
Philbin |
Gold 1 Fire Bitterroot NF |
7,675 |
15 |
UNK |
|
ID |
T2 |
Rios |
Slims Complex Nez Perce NF |
13,594 |
65 |
8/25 |
|
ID |
T2 |
Saleen |
South Fork Fire Boise NF |
6,765 |
80 |
2/24 |
|
MT |
T2 |
Sandman |
Cooney Ridge Complex State Lands |
20,887 |
30 |
9/15 |
|
MT |
T2 |
Sczepanik |
Windmill Complex Crow Agency |
30,020 |
80 |
8/23 |
|
ID |
T2 |
Suwyn |
North Fork Lick Fire Payette NF |
8,219 |
10 |
UNK |
|
MT |
T2 |
Walker |
E. Montana Complex Miles City FO, BLM |
16,703 |
83 |
8/23 |
|
WA |
ST |
Jennings/Perry |
Togo Mountain Fire Colville NF |
5,136 |
20 |
8/26 |
|
OR |
ST |
Thorpe |
Hagelstein Fire State Land |
435 |
100 |
CND |
|
ID |
FUM |
Bonefeld |
Frank Church Fire Payette NF |
3,361 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
ID |
FUM |
Cones |
Cayuse Lake Complex Clearwater NF |
8,906 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
ID |
FUM |
Cones |
Clear/Nez Complex Clearwater NF |
8,361 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
MT |
FUM |
Weldon |
Little Salmon Creek Complex Flathead NF |
25,454 |
N/A |
N/A |
PARK FIRE SITUATION
Park summary pending; will be posted this afternoon.
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Yosemite National Park (CA)
Remote Alarm To Be Used To Manage Bears
Using an innovative technique not yet used elsewhere, the National Park Service, the Wildlife Services/National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC), and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) are working in cooperation to enhance the bear management program in Yosemite National Park.
By using a remote alarm system that notifies wildlife management when a bear with a radio collar is in a developed area, staff can quickly respond to haze bears that routinely get human food, reduce the amount of human food bears obtain, the amount of damage the bears do to human property, and better track the movements and habits of bears.
Aversive conditioning, or hazing, is a method of using loud noises, bright lights, bean bag bullets, simply throwing small rocks at the vicinity of the bear, and other means to discourage a bear from staying in a developed area or engaging in habituated behavior such as obtaining human food from a car or campsite.
The idea for the remote alarm system came from NWRC scientists trying to minimize problems with wolves and ranchers in Idaho and was developed at the NWRC headquarters in Fort Collins, Colorado.
The system utilizes radio telemetry to continually monitor designated, developed areas in Yosemite Valley. When the system detects a bear, it sends a message through the park's radio network alerting personnel that a bear is in a particular developed area. The use of this new technology increases the effectiveness of hazing program designed to re-educate habituated bears.
"This has been a tremendous cooperative effort between the National Wildlife Research Center, Yosemite National Park, and the Wildlife Conservation Society. Though we are in the preliminary stages of testing the system, thus far it appears to be an effective tool for assisting park biologists in Yosemite," said Stewart Breck, researcher for the NWRC.
For further information regarding the remote alarm system, contact Stewart Breck with NWRC at stewart.w.breck@aphis.usda.gov. or by phone at (970) 266-6092, Nathan Lance with NWRC at Nathan.j.lance@aphis.usda.gov.or or by phone at (970) 266-6087, Sean Mathews with WCS at (209) 372-0344, or Yosemite National Park Media Relations at (209) 372-0248.
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.