The Morning Report for Monday, October 18, 2004

INCIDENTS

Yosemite National Park (CA)
Wildland Fire Started by Arsonist Near Hetch Hetchy

Around 11:30 a.m. on the morning of Friday, October 15th, fire managers at the Crane Flat lookout spotted smoke near Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. A helicopter was dispatched and confirmed at fire at that location.

Responding firefighters evacuated two hikers who were in the area. The hikers reported that a man on the trail was lighting the fires and that he had displayed a firearm. In addition, park employees on the helicopter observed the man igniting fires with what appeared to be a handheld propane torch.

Rangers spotted the man shortly thereafter in the Tiltill Valley, but were unable to get close to the location because of the intense fire activity. They instead took strategic locations outside the perimeter of the fire.

Other rangers were able to identify the suspect by interviewing witnesses and locating his vehicle, which was parked in the Hetch Hetchy area.
On Saturday, rangers discovered a body of a man in that location who matched the witness descriptions and strongly believe that he was the arsonist who ignited the Hetchy Fire. It appears that he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.[Submitted by Media Relations Office]

Yellowstone National Park (ID,MT,WY)
Visitor Suffers Thermal Burns

A 39-year old park visitor from Georgia was burned last Thursday afternoon after breaking through the crust in a thermal area at Old Faithful.

The man and his friend were touring the Firehole Lake area in the Lower Geyser Basin when they decided to get off the boardwalk at Artesia Geyser. The man broke through the crust, submerging both his legs up to the knees in hot water and suffering second degree burns to approximately 25 percent of his body.

His friend pulled him from the hot water and drove him to the Old Faithful Inn to seek medical attention. Park EMS staff stabilized the man's injuries and transported him by ambulance to the Old Faithful Clinic for additional care. He was subsequently taken by life flight helicopter to Eastern Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

He was the first person to receive a thermal burn during the 2004 summer season. Park visitors are reminded that for their own safety it is important to stay on boardwalks and designated trails while viewing all thermal features in the park. Scalding water underlies thin, breakable crusts; many geyser eruptions are unpredictable, and thermal features are near or above boiling temperatures. Boardwalks and trails help protect park visitors and prevent damage to delicate formations.
[Submitted by Public Affairs Office]

Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve (AK)
Vessel Grounding with Fuel Spill

On the afternoon of Thursday, October 7th, the M/V Blue Star, a 60-foot, metal-hulled catamaran out of Hoonah, Alaska, began taking on water when its starboard pontoon ruptured while transiting Dixon Harbor on the park's remote outer coast.

The captain/owner, W.S., of King Cove, decided to run the vessel aground on the Hankison Peninsula to save the vessel from sinking. Both W.S. and his crew member were rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter out of Sitka. Neither was injured.

A six-foot gash in the hull was observed upon inspection of the damaged pontoon. The vessel reportedly was carrying 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel, along with several barrels of gasoline and some lube oil. Although the containers of gasoline and lube oil were removed to the beach, reports indicated that diesel fuel spillage into the water was occurring. A sheen was observed spreading into Dixon Harbor and onto the shoreline.

At the time of the report, it was not known whether the fuel was leaking from the vents or there was actual damage to the tanks, which were in the submerged portion of the vessel.

Park staff were working with the US Coast Guard, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, and the vessel owner to assess and prevent damage to park resources from the fuel, and to eventually remove the vessel from the park. Rough seas and poor weather are hampering access to the site, which is difficult to access even under the best conditions.[Submitted by Chuck Young, Chief Ranger]

Golden Gate National Recreation Area (CA)
Man Arrested for Forcible Entry into Closed Area

On the evening of October 9th, a bridge patrol officer stationed at the north anchorage of the Golden Gate Bridge saw a white Dodge van purposefully ram a closed metal gate underneath the bridge.

The driver, later identified as C.P. of Sherman Oaks, refused to comply with the officer's order to stop and instead continued to ram the gate, causing the metal to bend enough to permit him to drive over it and directly towards the officer. The officer jumped back inside his patrol car to avoid being hit and put out a call for help.

C.P. continued to drive at a high rate of speed until he lost control of the van and crashed into a fence post. He then got out and fled on foot.

Ranger Bruce Phillips heard the radio traffic and responded, arriving within five minutes. Phillips took control of the scene as IC, directing Park Police, Golden Gate Bridge and California Highway Patrol officers and establishing a perimeter.

Park Police and local PD dog teams, a California Highway Patrol helicopter with infrared detection devices and a Coast Guard patrol vessel joined the search. Due to extremely dense fog, officers on the vessel employed flares to increase visibility for the search team.
[Submitted by Kim Coast, Acting Operations Supervisor]

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument (AZ)
Border Incidents

In addition to the numerous drug marijuana smuggling cases rangers made during September and October (see last Friday's edition), they also dealt with several other significant felonies.

September 4th — Rangers made a traffic stop on Highway 85 for a speeding violation. During a consent search of the vehicle, they found methamphetamine drug paraphernalia and a loaded .22 caliber zip gun. She was cited for speeding; an investigation continues into the possession of the paraphernalia and weapons, identity theft, and gang affiliations.
October 7th — The Pima County Sheriff's Office asked for assistance in a high speed pursuit that was entering the park. A stolen Dodge pickup was chased by state and county officers for 55 miles at speeds over 100 mph. The driver was able to avoid spike strips on five separate occasions, but a sixth strip laid down by rangers deflated his tires near the park visitor center. The vehicle's speed was reduced to 40 mph as the driver passed through the Lukeville port of entry into Mexico. All enforcement agencies terminated the pursuit at the border, where Mexican officers picked up the chase. The final outcome is not known.
October 8th — Rangers came upon tracks consistent with those of a group of backpackers about ten miles west of the port of entry. The group was tracked by air and land for about 14 miles. While tracking the smugglers, rangers came upon a group of 25 illegal immigrants and turned them over to the Border Patrol. The smugglers were found and ten were taken into custody at gunpoint. The group was comprised mostly of family members. A Fish and Wildlife officer assisted in the arrest; Customs and Arizona ANG provided air support. This was the fifth backpack load interdicted in the park's backcountry over a two-week period. NPS special agent Susan Morton is assisting Customs with the investigation.

[Submitted by Julie Kovacs, Park Ranger]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

NIFC/NPS Fire and Aviation Management
National Fire Situation Highlights — Monday, October 18, 2004

Preparedness Level 1

There were 32 new starts yesterday. None escaped initial attack. Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in California.

Weather Forecast

An upper trough over the West will bring cool, unsettled weather to most of the region. However, most of the Southwest will remain dry.

Warnings and Watches

No warnings or watches have been issued for today.

NPS Fires

For a brief supplemental narrative on each fire, click on the bar with the arrow. Internal NPS readers can link directly to full reports on each fire by clicking on the notepad icon; public readers of the Morning Report can obtain similar information by going to http://www.nps.gov/fire/news

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National/State Team Commitments

Newly listed fires (on this report) appear below in boldface. Changes in the status of a fire (type of team, change from a fire to a complex, etc.) are also noted in boldface.

Fires are sorted by type of team; teams are listed in alphabetical order within each type by the IC's last name.

State	Agency	Team	IC	Fire/Incident and Location	10/15	10/18	% Con	Est Con

CA	USFS	T1	McCombs	Power Fire, Eldorado NF	12,500	16,800	80	10/21
CA	State	T1	Streblow *	Rumsey Fire, Sonoma-Lake Napa Unit	39,138	39,138	100	CND

FL	FEMA	T2	Muir	Hurricane Response, Saufley Field NAS	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
CA	USFS	T2	Szczepanik	Freds Fire, Eldorado NF	5,000	7,700	100	CND

* CDF team

National Resource Commitments

Day	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun	Mon
Date	10/12	10/13	10/14	10/15	10/16	10/17	10/18

Crews	60	71	109	121	132	117	31
Engines	70	137	216	300	307	247	82
Helicopters	13	19	23	27	39	28	12
Air Tankers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Overhead	498	565	633	695	820	404	411

Further Information

This report is meant to present just highlights of the current fire situation. Two other NIFC sites provide much greater detail:

Full NIFC Situation Report (PDF file) — http://www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.pdf
National Fire News — http://www.nifc.gov/fireinfo/nfn.html

Information on NPS Fire and Aviation Management (FAM) and on park fires can be found at:
FAM — http://www.nps.gov/fire
Park fires — http://www.nps.gov/fire/news

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Intermountain Region
Mesa Verde National Park (CO)
GS-0025-11 Law Enforcement Ranger

Dates: 10/14/2004 - 10/28/2004

The person selected for this position will supervise a team of law enforcement professionals, manage the park's structural fire program, and perform other duties, including EMS, SAR, etc.

She/he must have a Level I law enforcement commission and be certified as at least a basic emergency medical technician. This is a 6C retirement covered position, with required occupancy in park housing.

The vacancy announcement closes October 28th. Applications must arrive by no later than November 4, 2004.

Contact Laura M. Lenihan at 970-529-5068 for further information.
[Submitted by Laura M. Lenihan, laura_lenihan@nps.gov, 970-529-5068]

Pinnacles National Monument (CA)
GS-9 Park Ranger

Dates: 10/06/2004 - 10/22/2004

This position is a parkwide law enforcement position. The protection operation at Pinnacles encompasses law enforcement, EMS, wildland fire, and search and rescue). Collateral duties may include wildland fire coordination or rock climbing management.

He/she will work with all divisions to develop and coordinate protection efforts throughout the park. Regular frontcountry and backcountry patrols are incorporated into schedules. Operations include traffic enforcement, visitor services, and a variety of resource protection issues, such as therelease and protection of condors, wilderness management, overflight issues, and ARPA.

Housing will not be offered within the park for this position. Housing is available in Hollister (32 miles north) and King City (28 miles south).
[Submitted by Lori Frusetta, lori_frusetta@nps.gov, (831)389-4485 ext. 227] More Information...

Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial (OH)
Gerry Altoff Will Retire in December

Chief ranger and park historian Gerard T. Altoff will be retiring from Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial on December 1st.

During the past 25 years at the Monument, Gerry has become an author and acknowledged expert on the Battle of Lake Erie and the War of 1812. The Battle of Lake Erie audio visual presentation currently being shown in the park's new visitor center and the exhibits all owe much of their authenticity to Gerry's respect for detail. Also important are the many park rangers working today, that first learned about the Service and telling park stories under Gerry's watch.

Gerry was born in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He served four years in the U.S. Coast Guard, including a tour in Vietnam, and attended Dixie College in St. George, Utah.

His National Park Service career began in 1972, at Zion National Park. From 1972 to 1975 he was a law enforcement ranger at Theodore Roosevelt National Park and in 1979 Gerry arrived at Perry's Victory, where he found his niche.

Winner of the National American Society for Oceanic History's John Lyman Book Award in 1977, Gerry has written and co-authored four books and made frequent contributions to journals and quarterlies. Gerry is also often called on to speak at forums and events outside the park.

As a historic weapons supervisor, regional safety inspector, and Servicewide instructor, Gerry has played a critical role in the programs and courses that guide black powder and cannon demonstrations. He also initiated living history/costumed interpretation at Perry's Victory. Numerous other park programs bear Gerry's high standard of visitor service.

After 25 years of living and raising their daughter Kristin on South Bass Island and being ice bound for three to four months out of each winter on Lake Erie, Gerry and his wife Cyndee have bought their retirement home in Williamsburg, Virginia, with no lake in sight. Gerry leaves some very big shoes to fill and both he and Cyndee will be very missed by this island community.

His retirement party will be celebrated at The Heineman Winery at Put-in-Bay, Ohio beginning at 5 p.m. on October 23rd. Cards, photos, and remembrances are always appreciated.
[Submitted by Andy Ferguson, Superintendent]

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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.