Grand Teton National Park (WY)
Collision Knocks Van With Four Aboard Into River
A Chevy Astro van carrying four people careened into the Gros Ventre
River after getting sideswiped by a Jeep on Highway 26/89/191 near Gros
Ventre Junction last Friday afternoon. The driver of the van, a Teton
Science Schools employee, steered the van down a relatively steep
embankment before it came to rest upright in the river. Her quick
thinking and steady steering likely prevented the van from rolling. None
of the occupants in the Chevy Astro or Jeep was injured during the
collision or its aftermath. A Texas man and his wife were traveling
southbound on the highway in their Jeep when they pulled to the west
side of the road, intending to stop along the shoulder. The man decided
to pull back onto the highway, but failed to see the approaching
minivan, which was also southbound. As the Jeep reentered the lane of
traffic, it struck the Astro. causing it to crash into a guardrail and
careen down the roadside embankment before landing in the middle of the
river. Rangers, notified of the accident, responded from park
headquarters at Moose, about seven miles away. Because the minivan's gas
tank ruptured and was leaking fuel into the Gros Ventre River, a Teton
County hazmat team and battalion chief also responded to clean up the
spill. Although no one in the van was injured, a can of bear spray
discharged, affecting the passengers. The Texas driver received a
citation for failure to maintain control of his vehicle, which brings a
fine of $125.
[Submitted by Jackie Skaggs, Public Affairs Officer]
Shenandoah National Park (VA)
Visitor Dies Of Injuries Sustained In 70-Foot Fall
On Thursday, August 2nd, dispatch received a report that a man had
fallen about 70 feet near Overall Run Falls, the highest waterfall in
the park. Park personnel from all divisions geared up for a technical
rescue and carryout of the 41-year-old Ohio man. Ranger Stuart Curtin
was first on scene and worked to secure the unconscious man's airway and
treat his life threatening injuries, including an obvious open skull
fracture. Eagle One, the United States Park Police Helicopter,
responded and hoisted the man after he was packaged by park
personnel. He was then flown to Inova Fairfax Hospital in Fairfax,
Virginia, where he succumbed to his injuries three days later.
[Submitted by Dixon Freeland, North District Ranger, IC]
Redwood National and State Parks (CA)
Injured Teenager Rescued In Extended Carryout Operation
Rangers launched a rescue operation last Tuesday afternoon for a
16-year-old girl who'd injured her ankle on the West Ridge Trail within
Prairie Creek State Park. Three rangers and seven NPS firefighters
arrived at the scene around 7 p.m. The girl, who weighed over 250
pounds, was treated and then extricated via a wheeled litter. Rescue
workers began the two mile carryout from the intersection of West Ridge
Trail and Friendship Ridge Trail. arriving at a remote location on Gold
Bluffs Beach shortly after sunset. A warming fire was built while
waiting for a four-wheel-drive vehicle to navigate seven miles of beach
and complete the evacuation. By 11 p.m., all remaining rescue personnel
and gear were cleared from the field. The injured girl was reunited with
her family, who elected to pursue further medical treatment on their
own. [
[Submitted by Marshall Neeck, Chief Ranger]
Catoctin Mountain Park (MD)
Visitor Saved From Choking To Death
Rangers learned of a choking incident involving a handicapped camper
at Camp Greentop on Sunday, August 5th. The camper was choking on
a meatball. An EMT from the Department of Navy was on scene with
suction and oxygen and the camp nurse was delivering abdominal thrusts
when rangers arrived. The patient was severely cyanotic. with
deteriorating vital signs. Local ambulance personnel manually
removed the meatball and the camper began breathing. He returned
to camp two days later.
[Submitted by Holly Rife, Chief Ranger]
FIRE MANAGEMENT
NIFC/NPS Fire and Aviation Management
National Fire/Incident Situation Highlights
National Fire Activity – Preparedness Level 4
NIFC is at PL 4. Sixty-two uncontained large fires are now burning nationwide. Twenty-five incident management teams are committed, up from 20 yesterday. The Reading Fire in Lassen Volcanic burned another 2,380 acres yesterday. It is 15% contained.
Fire Weather Forecast
Isolated to widely scattered thunderstorms will develop over the Great Basin and the southern and central Rockies. Windy conditions will develop over the northern Rockies. Temperatures will continue to rise across the West. A front will stall across the southern states, bringing scattered showers and thunderstorms from Texas to New England. Cooler conditions will spread across the Plains and Mississippi River Valley.
To see a NOAA map of today's critical fire weather areas, click on this link: http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/fire_wx/fwdy1.html
Fire Summary (Five Day Trend)
|
Day |
Wed |
Thu |
Fri |
Mon |
Tue |
|
Date |
8/8 |
8/9 |
8/10 |
8/13 |
8/14 |
|
Initial Attack Fires |
228 |
191 |
293 |
157 |
288 |
|
New Large Fires |
15 |
13 |
8 |
4 |
16 |
|
Large Fires Contained |
8 |
8 |
9 |
8 |
11 |
|
Uncontained Large Fires |
49 |
56 |
47 |
59 |
62 |
National Resource Commitments (Five Day Trend)
|
Day |
Wed |
Thu |
Fri |
Mon |
Tue |
|
Date |
8/8 |
8/9 |
8/10 |
8/13 |
8/14 |
|
Area Command Teams |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
NIMO Teams |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
|
Type 1 Teams |
3 |
4 |
4 |
6 |
11 |
|
Type 2 Teams |
13 |
13 |
12 |
11 |
11 |
NPS Fire Summaries
No updates on National Park Service fires have been received since yesterday.
Details on these NPS fires have been extracted from current NIFC, InciWeb and other reports:
- Reading Fire, Lassen Volcanic NP – The fire is being managed by Pincha-Tulley's Type 1 incident management team; 1,239 firefighters and overhead are committed, including 36 crews. The fire burned 2,380 acres yesterday, bringing the current total to 21,530 acres. Heavy timber and brush burned actively last night with low rates of spread and isolated single tree torching. Lassen Volcanic National Park Highway continues to be closed for seven miles from Manzanita Lake to Summit Lake. Summit Lake, Butte Lake, Lost Creek and Crags Campgrounds remain closed. Numerous trails remain closed in the park, including the PCT, from Corral Meadows to the north boundary, Paradise Meadows, Terrace Lakes, Painted Dunes, Cinder Cone, Twin Lakes, Cluster Lakes, Butte Lake, Widow Lake, and trails west of Snag Lake south to Juniper Lake and Horseshoe Lake. All USFS roads, trails, and the area south of Highway 44 and east of Highway 89 in the vicinity of Old Station remain closed. For more information, go to the team's InciWeb site (http://www.inciweb.org/incident/3112/ ) or the park's web page (http://www.nps.gov/lavo/index.htm).
- Quail Fire, Joshua Tree NP – This 300-acre fires is now 40% contained. Full containment is forecast to occur today. Ninety-one firefighters and overhead personnel are assigned. For more information, see the park's web page (http://www.nps.gov/jotr/index.htm).
- South Complex Fire, Death Valley NP – The fire has burned 453 acres and is 70% contained. Full containment is forecast for Thursday. Fifty-six firefighters and overhead are assigned.
For additional information on all fires, check the following National Park Service and NIFC web sites:
NIFC
- Summary of current fires – http://www.nifc.gov/nicc/sitreprt.pdf
- Detailed reports on major fires – http://www.inciweb.org/
- Fire news and fire year in perspective – http://www.nifc.gov/fireInfo/nfn.htm
- Map of fire locations – http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/lg_fire2.php
NPS
- Details on current NPS fires – http://www.nps.gov/fire/wildland-fire/fires.cfm
- InsideNPS Fire and Aviation – http://inside.nps.gov/fire
- InsideNPS Structural Fire – http://inside.nps.gov/fire/structuralfire
- NPS Fire and Aviation - http://www.nps.gov/fire
PARKS AND PEOPLE
132
Death of Vincent Santucci's Son
Vince Santucci, senior geologist for the NPS Geologic Resources Division, laid his eldest son, Vincent "Luke" Santucci, to rest on August 4th following a tragic triple murder which took place on July 27th in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania.
Luke was shot and killed, along with his friend, Brandi Cleeves, and his mother, Rosemary (Linda) Holma (also Vince's ex-wife). The shooter then abducted his four-year-old daughter and fled the state. A nationwide Amber Alert was issued. The shooter was arrested in Ohio and the child was unharmed.
Luke was raised in a NPS home, living initially in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and residing in several national parks, including Badlands National Park in South Dakota, Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and Fossil Butte National Monument in Wyoming. Luke attended West Yellowstone Middle School and both Northgate High School in Pittsburgh and Kemmerer High School in Wyoming.
An obituary and online tributes to Luke and notes to the family can be posted to http://obituaries.expressionstributes.com/?o=bfb5253552
[Submitted by David Steensen, dave_steensen@nps.gov, (303) 969-2014] More Information...
132
Dale Pate Selected As Cave And Karst Program Coordinator
The Geologic Resources Division is pleased to announce that Dale Pate has been selected as the new full-time national cave and karst program coordinator.
Dale comes to this position having worked in cave and karst areas since 1970, where much of his early experience comes from volunteer efforts to discover and document caves mostly in central Texas and northern Mexico. In 1976, Dale joined the U.S. Geological Survey - Water Resources Division in Austin, Texas. For the next 15 years, he collected and analyzed surface water and groundwater quality, operated stream gauging stations on the Brazos River and other streams, operated urban base flow and storm runoff stations within the City of Austin, and operated a series of groundwater sites in the Edwards Aquifer in the Austin area, including Barton Springs.
Dale joined the National Park Service in 1991, spending 21 years as the cave specialist for Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Significant duties and accomplishments there included supervising a professional team of employees dedicated to documenting and conserving the park's world-class cave resources; setting standards and protocols for entering and working in park caves; managing Lechuguilla Cave, presently over 135 miles in length and the deepest limestone cave in the U.S.; being the guiding force for the Carlsbad Cavern protection plan and EA, which allowed the park to make major infrastructure improvements to protect Carlsbad Cavern; overseeing the placement of a stainless steel air-lock system and culvert at the entrance to Lechuguilla Cave; working with numerous researchers in various disciplines to better understand and manage the spectacular, yet very fragile, cave resources of the park; and working with numerous volunteer groups and individuals to accomplish exploration, survey, inventory, and restoration within the 117 known caves.
For the past five years, Dale has been serving in a half time role as GRD's national cave and karst program coordinator while also serving as a supervisory physical scientist at Carlsbad Caverns. Dale has spent a long career working in and protecting cave and karst resources and has discovered and documented numerous new caves, new cave passages, and unknown endemic cave species. Dale has developed a vast network of contacts within the cave and karst community, and he has earned a great deal of respect from that community for his experience and wisdom dealing with multitude cave and karst issues.
During the past several years, Dale has been managing a number of cave inventory projects and has directly helped parks develop cave management plans. Dale holds a BA degree in geography from Texas State University (1974).
You can reach Dale at 303-969-2635, or dale_pate@nps.gov. Please join Geologic Resources in welcoming Dale to his new position.
[Submitted by David Steensen, dave_steensen@nps.gov, (303) 969-2014] More Information...
Cultural Resources
GS-0190-14/15 Supervisory Anthropologist
Cultural Resources has issued an announcement for a chief anthropologist. The announcement, available at the link below, closes on September 10th.
More Information...
NPS serious incident submission standards can be found at the following web site:
http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custompages.cfm?prg=45&id;=8728&lv;=2&pgid;=3504
All reports should now be submitted via this automated system.