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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Wednesday, November 28, 2007 =============================================================================================================== INCIDENTS Santa Monica Mountains NRA Park Begins Recovery From Destructive Fire The wind has died down and firefighters have made substantial progress in containing the Corral Fire. Evacuation orders have been lifted, roads within the burned area have reopened to residents, and the park has begun recovering from its impacts. Superintendent Woody Smeck put out this message to park staff on Monday on ways in which they could support and assist those park residents who lost everything in the fire: “As many of you know, the Corral Fire (or Malibu Fire) that consumed over 4,700 acres in the Santa Monica Mountains this past weekend destroyed two National Park Service residential buildings in Solstice Canyon. Seven rangers and science interns were able to safely evacuate their homes just minutes before wind-driven flames destroyed everything. Unfortunately, with little time to react, they lost all of their personal property, including items of intense personal value such as wedding and family photos, china, jewelry, personal papers, and art work. “For most of us, we can only imagine what it means to lose our home. The emotions and memories are overwhelming and for these individuals, this has been a very difficult time. Yet, they have found needed comfort and strength from the many family, friends, and colleagues that have called with expressions of sorry and support. The meaning of ‘National Park Service Family' has shown its true spirit and grace. “Many of you have asked how you can help. The Santa Monica Mountains Fund, our 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has created a fund to help replace the personal loses experienced by Eric, June, Larry, Rebecca, Steve, Sarah, and Tarja. Cash donations can be made to the Santa Monica Mountains Fund at 401 West Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks, California, 91360. Please indicate ‘Fire Recovery Fund' on the memo line. Information on how to donate on-line will be announced shortly. “Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the fire. We will do everything necessary to rebuild and recover from this very tragic loss.” Although the fire is close to containment and many firefighters have demobilized, the weather forecast is calling for increased winds again later this week. [Marty O'Toole, Fire Education, Prevention and Information Specialist] Hot Springs NP Human Remains Found Off Park Trail On the morning of November 26th, a jogger on Mountain Top trail on West Mountain discovered what appeared to be human remains, woman's clothing and personal items. The jogger, who went off the trail to chase a cat, discovered the bones and other items in and around a ravine. He called the Hot Springs Police Department, which turned the investigation over to the park since the trail is within exclusive federal jurisdiction. A protection ranger secured the area and notified the FBI. A seven-member FBI Evidence Recovery Team (ERT) headquartered in Little Rock arrived at the scene in mid-afternoon. The ERT will continue to process the scene and collect all the evidence available. The Mountain Top trail will be closed until the investigation and evidence collection is concluded. [Diane East, Management Assistant] Colonial NHP Pipe Bomb Dismantled Along Parkway On Sunday, November 18th, a small homemade explosive device was discovered and successfully deactivated along the Colonial Parkway. There were no injuries nor any damage to park resources. Park dispatch received a call just after noon that day regarding a possible pipe bomb at the Mill Creek turnout along the parkway. Ranger Larry Smith responded and secured the parking area with the assistance of James City County police. The device in question was approximately four inches long and a half inch in diameter, with a burnable fuse protruding from one end. The man who'd reported the device said that he and his two children had been fishing in the James River when his 11-year-old son scooped up the small, shiny object with his fishing net. The man saw the fuse; suspecting an explosive device, he placed it under a rock on the beach and called 911. The Virginia State Police bomb squad was called. Bomb specialists rendered the device safe by exploding a small charge on its end, thereby knocking out the end cap and allowing the contents (two to three ounces of black powder) to be removed safely. The area was searched for additional devices, but none were found. Investigators revealed that such devices, known locally as “crickets,” are becoming increasingly popular among juveniles, as the materials are non-regulated and easy to obtain. They are commonly made in batches of five to six devices and were recently responsible for the death of a young boy in the Williamsburg area. [Mike Litterst, Public Affairs Officer] OTHER NEWS The following stories (among others) can be read on InsideNPS (internal) or NPS Digest (external): Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services - The WASO Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services and the Division of Fire and Aviation - in conjunction with WASO Property Management - announce the availability of a new 12-inch reflective NPS arrowhead designed for vehicle doors. HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6019" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6019 Servicewide - A weekly summary of news stories about or of consequence to the National Park Service and National Park System, including links to the text of these articles. HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6017" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6017 Facility Management - Ron Miller, facility management specialist for the WASO Park Facility Management Division, will retire on December 2nd after 32 years of federal service. HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewcommunityarticle&type=PeopleNews&id=1753" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewcommunityarticle&type=PeopleNews&id=1753 * * * * * Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, with the support of the Office of the Chief Information Officer and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov, 570-686-3828). --- ### --- |