RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
CC: RAD Information Net
Day/date: Monday, July 15, 1991
INCIDENTS
91-284 - Canyonlands (Utah) - Aggravated Assault
At approximately 10:10 p.m. on the 13th, ranger Dana Kline
received a report of shots fired in the Squaw Flat campground in
the Needles District. The shots, which forced the occupants of
two campsites to seek cover, were apparently fired from a pickup
truck with a cabover camper which was subsequently seen speeding
from the area. San Juan County sheriff's deputies were advised
and a roadblock was established on the main access road 34 miles
from the park's boundary. The truck was intercepted, and the
driver, H.M., 70, of Payson, Arizona, was arrested for
driving under the influence. A .22 caliber revolver with three
spent cartridges and three live rounds in the cylinder was
recovered from the interior of the camper during the impoundment
inventory. Rangers Kline and Tony Schetzsle conducted the
followup investigation. They found that H.M. had been drinking
and arguing with a female companion while in the campground.
While intoxicated, he walked from the campsite and discharged
his revolver in the direction of other campers, then left the
park. There were no injuries in the incident. H.M. is being
held in the county jail. Formal charges will be filed today.
[Telefaxed report from Tony Schetzsle, CR, CANY, 7/14]
91-285 - Jefferson National Expansion (Missouri) - Armed Robbery
A couple who had just left a river boat and were walking to the
parking garage were confronted and robbed by two men on July
11th. One of the men produced a sawed-off shotgun from a tote
bag and threatened to kill both the man and the woman unless
they gave him all their money. The suspects then fled on foot
with over $700 in cash and the couple's credit cards, drivers
licenses and other items. Rangers and St. Louis police officers
were notified. A joint search of the grounds and surrounding
area was conducted without results. The case is still under
investigation by both agencies. [Deryl Stone, CR, JEFF, via
CompuServe message from Tom Thompson, RAD/MWRO, 7/11]
91-286 - Lake Mead (Nevada) - Fatal Air Crash
On July 10th, J.P., 45, of Fontana, California, flew into
the airstrip at Temple Bar to deliver the pilot who was to fly
out the plane belonging to S.N., who was killed in the
boating accident which occurred on the lake on July 8th (912-71).
J.P. took off to return to Kingman, Arizona, later that
afternoon. Just after leaving, he called the airstrip to report
that he was having difficulties with his aircraft. Nothing more
was heard from him. Rangers began a search and soon located his
crashed aircraft about a quarter mile south of the strip.
J.P. was dead at the scene. There were no other occupants in
the plane, and there was no fire. The FAA and NTSB are
investigating the accident. [John Jones, Dispatch, LAME, via
CompuServe message from Carl Christensen, RAD/WRO, 7/11]
91-287 - Yosemite (California) - Successful Rescue
Just after 5:00 p.m. on the 8th, rangers in the Valley District
received a report that an unidentified visitor had slipped and
fallen over a cliff between Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls. The
park helicopter immediately flew SAR personnel and equipment to
a landing zone near the scene. The victim, F.M.,
had fallen 20 to 25 feet into the water, but had managed to drag
himself up onto a boulder in the middle of the stream. He
complained of severe pain in one of his legs. Rescue personnel
packaged the victim in a prerigged Stokes litter and employed a
shorthaul extraction with the helicopter. F.M. was brought
to the valley floor, then transported to the park's medical
clinic, where Zrays confirmed that he had a fractured femur.
Investigation of the incident revealed that F.M. had
wandered several hundred feet from the established trail onto
slippery, water-polished granite rocks and had then fallen into
the stream. [Jim Tucker, YOSE, via CompuServe message from Carl
Christensen, RAD/WRO, 7/11]
91-288 - Virgin Islands (Virgin Islands) - Drowning
M.C., a 36-year-old resident of Texas who was living
aboard his boat in Coral Bay, drowned sometime late on July 7th,
apparently while attempting to recover a dinghy that had come
loose from the stern of his 38-foot sailboat. The sailboat had
been patched after damage from Hurricane Hugo in 1988 and was en
route to a shipyard in Cruz Bay, St. John for additional repairs.
Witnesses saw the vessel suddenly change course and enter Drunk
Bay, an area of rough, rugged shoreline on the island's south
coast. Seas were running from six to seven feet at the time.
Evidence suggests that M.C. entered the water to retrieve
the dinghy and became trapped between the incoming seas and
backwaves generated by the rock shore. The boat ran aground and
broke up during the night. Rangers, local authorities and area
residents conducted a search of the are on the 8th and 9th. On
July 10th, ranger saw M.C.'s body in the bay about 300 yards
from the grounded vessel and 100 yards offshore. The body was
recovered under very difficult circumstances, including high
seas and the threatening shoreline. An investigation has
revealed that alcohol was a contributing factor in Craddock's
drowning. [Chuck Dale, CR, VIIS, via telefax from John Beck,
RAD/SERO, 7/11]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) ACTIVITY LEVEL Planning Level II
2) FIRE SUMMARY
State Agency Area Fire 7/14 7/15 Status
AK BIA Up. Yukon Zone B564 3,300 3,300 NEC
Southwest Area B544 4,710 4,710 NEC
Galena Zone B687 T2 3,800 7,500 CN 7/17
FWS Up. Yukon Zone B460 66,840 67,200 NEC
Tanana Zone B568 32,570 32,570 NEC
B628 31,700 31,700 NEC
B569 76,000 119,620 NEC
Up. Yukon Zone B562 58,356 58,356 NEC
AK Tanana Zone B615 9,840 9,840 NEC
Southwest Area B402 T2 12,000 12,000 CN
WY NPS Yellowstone Pelican 260 260 CN
ID BLM Boise * Jarbidge 200 1,200+ NEC
* Water Haul 300 300 CL
* Thousand Springs 300+ CN 7/14
* Three Creek Well 6,000+ NEC
* County Line 100 NEC
Burley * Point Well 300 2,500 CL
* Smith Springs 200+ 250 CN
NM USFS Santa Fe * Oaks 125 NR NEC
NV BLM Elko * Oasis 3,520 CN 7/16
UT BLM Richfield * Rockwell 1,000 CN
Alaska also has 10 fires under modified suppression strategy for
161,014 acres and 56 fires under limited suppression for 366,666 acres.
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 NEC No estimate of containment
CS Confinement strategy DM Demobed
3) 1990/1991 COMPARATIVE ACTIVITY SUMMARY
Fires Acres
1990 (Year-to-date) 37,359 1,430,001
1991 (Year-to-date) 38,422 1,463,186
1990-1991 (% difference) + 3% + 2%
4) FIRE NARRATIVES
Yellowstone (Wyoming):
* Pelican Fire - According to a report received from the fire
overhead team last night, the fire is now completely contained.
Two helicopters, two Type I crews and 17 overhead personnel are
still assigned to the fire. Temperature, humidity and winds are
moderate, and no problems are foreseen. The estimated total
cost to suppress the fire has been placed at $550,000.
5) ANALYSIS - Initial attack activity increased over the weekend
due to thunderstorms in several areas of the West. There are no
new fires in Alaska, but existing fires have had large acreage
increases. Demobilization is in progress on all fires in Alaska
except B687.
6) PROGNOSIS - Initial attack activity is expected to continue
because of thunderstorms and the discovery of holdover fires.
No resource shortages are anticipated.
[Fire Management Situation Report, NIFCC Intelligence Section,
7/15; ICS209 from Pelican Fire, 7/14]
CALENDAR
Asterisk (*) indicates new entry; plus (+) indicates revised
entry subsequent comments explain the revision. Brackets at
end of entry indicate source of information:
July 18-21 Managing the Search Function, Kansas City, MO. For
further information, contact the National Association for Search
and Rescue (703-352-1349).
July 19-22 Fundamentals of Search and Rescue, Allentown, PA.
For further information, contact the National Association for
Search and Rescue (703-352-1349).
July 29-31 Southeastern Lyme Disease Workshop, Radisson Hotel,
Knoxville, TN. The workshop will address the current status of
Lyme disease in the Southeast; topics will include surveillance,
epidemiology, ecology, genetics, personal protection, and
suppression. Sponsored by the NPS, TVA and Tennessee Department
of Health. For further information contact Dr. Edward L. Snoddy
(205-386-2276) or Steven Bloemer (502-924-1230). [Jerry McCrea,
Wildlife & Vegetation, WASO]
August 2-4 Fundamentals of Search and Rescue, Hot Springs, SD.
For further information, contact the National Association for
Search and Rescue (703-352-1349).
August 5-16 Driver Instructor Training Program, FLETC, Glynco,
GA. Funded by benefitting accounts. For application procedures,
contact your regional training office. [Carole Pfeifer,
LEEDC/FLETC]
August 8-10 Managing the Search Function, Minneapolis, MN.
For further information, contact the National Association for
Search and Rescue (703-352-1349).
August 12-16 Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Boating Accident
Investigation Seminar, United States Coast Guard Academy, New
London, CT. Hosted by Division of Law Enforcement, Connecticut
Department of Environmental Protection. The seminar is intended
for experienced local, state and federal field officers and
marine investigators, and will provide specialized education in
properly documenting, analyzing and reconstructing recreational
boating accidents. Interested parties should contact Jack
Schamp in RAD at FTS 268-4209 (202-208-4209). [Jack Schamp,
RAD/WASO]
August 13-14 Second Annual Science Conference, Mammoth Cave NP,
Kentucky. This colloquium will feature research on area ecology
and air quality and provide updates on the park's water quality
monitoring program. Both plenary and concurrent sessions will
be held. Papers must be submitted no later than July 15th in
order to be accepted. For further information, contact Jeff
Bradybaugh at 502-758-2238. [Jeff Bradybaugh, MACA]
September 6-8 Fundamentals of Search and Rescue, Salt Lake
City, UT. For further information, contact the National
Association for Search and Rescue (703-352-1349).
September 7-9 SAR Planning Section Chief, Soldotna, AK. For
further information, contact the National Association for Search
and Rescue (703-352-1349).
September 19-21 Managing the Search Function, Nashville, TN.
For further information, contact the National Association for
Search and Rescue (703-352-1349).
(Calendar appears in the morning report every other Monday. If
you know of a conference, meeting or training session with
Servicewide interest and implications, please provide the
specifics to Bill Halainen in Ranger Activities).
STAFF STATUS
Division Chief: Dabney on leave (7/15) and on travel to
Canyonlands (7/18...).
Branch of Resource & Visitor Protection: Schamp on AL (7/19).
Branch of Fire & Aviation: Hurd at IFCC and branch meetings in
Boise, ID (7/15-7/19); Spruill at OAS and branch meetings in
Boise, ID (7/16-7/19); Broyles, Norum and Gale at joint USFS/NPS
meeting, Denver, CO (7/14-7/18); Botti on AL (7/15-7/26).
Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities