RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
CC: RAD Information Net
Day/date: Thursday, June 27, 1991
INCIDENTS
91-242 - Glen Canyon (Utah/Arizona) - Serious Injury; Successful
EMS Response
J.B., 11, of Salt Lake City, was assisting his father on
their houseboat on the afternoon of the 25th when the rope he
was holding to a tagalong boat got tangled around his wrist.
Severe stress on the taut rope resulted in a 95% amputation of
J.B.'s right hand. Hall's Crossing rangermedic J.D. Swed
responded to the scene, began IVs, correctly rearticulated the
hand, and packed it in ice for transport. J.B. was airlifted by
helicopter to Hanksville, Utah, then transferred to a fixed-wing
aircraft for a flight to the University of Utah in Salt Lake
City, where reconstructive surgery was performed. Twenty hours
after the incident, J.B. had good circulation in his hand and
prospects for recovery are reported to be good. The family
expressed thanks and admiration to the NPS medic team involved
in the incident. [Telefax from Denny Davies, CVS, GLCA, 6/26]
91-243 - Indiana Dunes (Indiana) - Explosion
On the morning of June 2nd, maintenance employee Mike Thomas
heard an explosion while he was in the process of videotaping
the West Beach access road construction project. Thomas saw one
person leaving the area on a motorcycle, and videotaped him as
he rode away. The ranger who was called to investigate the
incident discovered a small destructive device which had
exploded near one of the bridge supports. ATF agents are
working cooperatively with rangers on an investigation of the
incident. No workers were on the site at the time of the
incident due to a strike by the Ironworkers Union local. No
connection to the strike is suspected. [Dick Littlefield, INDU,
via telefax from John Townsend, RAD/MWRO, 6/25]
91-244 - Everglades (Florida) - Theft of Government Vehicles
A brand new Suzuki four-wheel-drive ATV and an older Honda ATC
were stolen from within a locked compound at the Pine Island
ranger station sometime before the morning of June 21st.
Thieves entered the ranger station and maintenance compound and
then cut their way into a small fenced holding facility within
the compound. The vehicles were stolen from an area closed from
and out of view of the general public. Rangers are following
several leads and working with other enforcement agencies on the
case. [Telefax from Mark Lewis, EVER, 6/26]
91-245 - Glen Canyon (Utah/Arizona) - Arrest of Homicide Suspect
On June 20th, ranger Ernie Soper of Lake Mead and two detectives
from the sheriff's office in Mohave County, Arizona, arrived in
the park and asked for assistance in locating a homicide suspect
who they believed was working for the park concessioner. The
homicide had occurred in mid-May along the Colorado River near
the town of Fort Mohave. The suspect, 19-year-old J.S.,
was described as a psychopath who had been in and out of mental
institutions and was considered to be extremely dangerous. J.S.
was reported to be carrying a .45 automatic and had made
statements that he would not be taken alive. J.S. had eluded
law enforcement authorities in Palm Springs, California, and had
been tracked to the Page/Wahweap area. Glen Canyon ranger Dan
Madrid was assigned to assist the investigation team along with
local police and sheriff's deputies. As leads developed, eight
additional rangers were called in to assist with surveillance of
beach areas within the park. The team eventually learned that
J.S. was at a residence in Page; as the surveillance team was
setting up operations at the house, J.S. was spotted sitting on
the sidewalk of a shopping mall. Madrid and a Mohave County
officer made a surprise felony arrest without incident. J.S.
was not armed at the time of his arrest. It was later learned
that he was not a concession employee. [Telefax from Phil Hibbs,
Acting CR, GLCA, 6/24]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) ACTIVITY LEVEL - Planning Level II
2) FIRE SUMMARY
State Agency Area Fire 6/26 6/27 Status
AK BLM/AK Tanana Zone B376 T2 7,702 15,972 None
FWS Yukon Flats NWR B381 NR NR None
B384 NR NR None
Tanana Zone * B241 21,695 None
AK AK B356 6,000 6,000 None
B402 410 1,090 None
Alaska also has 10 fires under modified suppression strategy for
24,221 acres and 30 fires under limited suppression for 45,940 acres.
NM BLM Albuquerque Dist. Lava T2 540 540 None
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) 1990/1991 COMPARATIVE ACTIVITY SUMMARY
Fires Acres
1991 (Year-to-date) 35,713 546,904
1990 (Year-to-date) 32,565 664,569
4) ANALYSIS - Initial attack activity is continuing throughout
the United States. Alaska continues to experience new fire
starts and large acreage increases on current fires.
5) PROGNOSIS - Fire activity is expected to continue in Alaska,
and the potential for increased activity exists in the Southwest
due to forecasted thunderstorms. No resource shortages
anticipated.
[Fire Management Situation Report, NIFCC Intelligence Section,
0541 MDT, 6/27; NICC Daily Situation Report, 1401 MDT, 6/26]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
1) Major William Spruill has been selected as the aviation
program safety manager for the Branch of Fire and Aviation
Management. Bill comes from an assignment in the Park Police
Inspectional Services Division. During his career with the Park
Police, he also worked as a helicopter pilot and had a tour as
regional law enforcement officer in MWR (19791983). He is
qualified in fixed wing and rotor wing aircraft, is multiengine
and instrument rated, and has airline transport pilot and
certified flight instructor qualifications. He EOD's on June
30th. [Elmer Hurd, RAD/WASO]
2) Everglades asks that you inform your seasonal employees that
information received in their winter seasonal employment packets
was in error. Both Everglades and Big Cypress will be hiring
winter seasonal rangers for interpretive, law enforcement, and
general ranger duties. Interested persons are encouraged to
apply for those positions. [Mark Lewis, EVER]
STAFF STATUS
Division Chief: No leave or travel scheduled.
Branch of Resource & Visitor Protection: Coffey and Sisto at
rights-of-way workshop, DOI, Washington, DC (6/24-6/28); Schamp on
travel to Alaska (6/24-7/2); Marriott on drug operations review,
Big Bend (6/24-6/27).
Branch of Fire & Aviation: Bristol at VAX training session,
Digital Corp., Englewood, Colorado (6/24-6/28); Botti at
congressional liaison training session, WASO (6/23-6/29); Berg
conducting audits at Big Cypress and Everglades (6/24-6/28); Gale
on AL (6/24-6/25).
Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities