RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
CC: RAD Information Net
Day/date: Friday, June 21, 1991
INCIDENTS
91-227 - Shenandoah (Virginia) - Followup on Armed Confrontation
Further information on the confrontation which took place in the
park yesterday has been received in this office. The Park
Police team which went to the park included the SWAT team
commander, a hostage negotiator and uniformed officers for
perimeter security, all of whom were flown to the scene by a
USPP helicopter, and a SWAT team and mobile headquarters, both
of which were driven to the park. After T.S.'s van was
stopped at mile post 44, negotiations began between T.S. and
the police negotiator. As perimeter security around the van was
tightened at 10:30 p.m., T.S., with gun in hand, turned his
flashlight on a SWAT officer. The officer, fearing for his life,
fired three shots at T.S., all of which struck the van.
T.S. gave himself up voluntarily just after 5:00 a.m. He is
being held for observation in a hospital in Stanton, Virginia.
[Report from Jack Schamp, RAD/WASO, 6/20]
91-228 - C & O Canal (Maryland) - River Rescue
On the afternoon of the 15th, kayaker R.D., 17, of
Germantown, Maryland, was running a narrow chute on the Potomac
River near Judy's Rock when his kayak got caught and became
pinned against the rock. R.D.'s two companions were unable to
extricate him from his kayak, but were able to hold him upright.
Shortly thereafter, ranger Robert Leaver, who was on foot patrol
on the shore, came upon the trio and quickly summoned assistance.
Ranger Jim Bell responded with a climbing team to set up an
anchor above the kayak in case it proved necessary, rangers
Chris Lea and Brian Willbond headed to the scene in a canoe, and
rangers Mike Larson and Tom Nash came down river in the park's
Zodiac. A US Park Police helicopter also flew to the scene, and
Sgt. Ilmar Pagel joined the rescue effort. After Lea and Nash
stabilized the kayak and attached a stern rope to it, Willbond,
Pagel and Leaver pulled on the rope and Lea pushed on the bow
until R.D. and the boat were freed. R.D. was uninjured.
[Telefax from Tom Nash, CHOH, 6/20]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) FIRE SITUATION Preparedness Level II
2) FIRE SUMMARY
State Agency Area Fire 6/20 6/21 Status
CA CDF Riverside RU Bautista 450 450 CL
NOTES:
Fires - Asterisk indicates newly reported fire (on this report).
T1 and T2 indicate assigned Type I and Type II Teams.
Status - The following abbreviations are employed:
* NR No report received * MS Modified suppression strategy
* CN Contained * MN Being monitored
* CL Controlled * None No estimate of containment
* CS Confinement strategy
3) FIRE ACTIVITY SUMMARY
Fires Acres
1991 (Year-to-date) 34,561 472,495
1990 (Year-to-date) 31,139 611,676
4) ANALYSIS - Areas in the Southwest and Rocky Mountains are
reporting continued initial attack activity.
5) PROGNOSIS - No resource shortages anticipated.
[Fire Management Situation Report, NIFCC Intelligence Section,
0534 MDT, 6/21; NICC Daily Situation Report, 1344 MDT, 6/20]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
1) Parks with Pacific yew trees may want to periodically check
them. National forest in Washington, Oregon and Idaho have
recently been hit by thieves taking bark from the trees. The
bark is used in cancer drugs and is accordingly quite valuable.
The Forest Service has offered a $50,000 reward for information
leading to the arrest of anyone involved in these thefts. [Mike
Blankenship, RAD/PNRO]
STAFF STATUS
Division Chief: Dabney on AL (6/21).
Branch of Resource & Visitor Protection: No leave or travel
scheduled.
Branch of Fire & Aviation: Hurd on AL (6/21); Botti on AL (6/17)
and at wildlife rehabilitation workshop, WRO, San Francisco, CA
(6/19-6/21); Farrel at structural fire training, Death Valley or
Lake Mead (6/17-6/18); Norum on AL (6/17-6/21); Gale on AL
(6/19-6/25).