RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
CC: RAD Information Net
Day/date: Friday, August 9, 1991
INCIDENTS
91-217 - Guadalupe Mountains (Texas) - Followup on Body Discovery
Early in June, rangers discovered a man's body near the park
visitor center at the Bear Canyon Trail junction and began an
investigation. Following a check of his fingerprints, they have
determined that the victim was P.B.S., 49, of
Oklahoma. His death has been ruled a suicide. [CompuServe
message from Jim Radney, RAD/SWRO, 8/8]
91-358 - Lake Meredith (Texas) - Followup on Threats to Ranger
FBI agents have concluded their initial investigation into
threats made against ranger Bob Gravestock and a Texas game
warden by M.M. and have concluded that there is
insufficient evidence to seek criminal charges against M.M..
They will continue to monitor the situation and have advised
Gravestock on precautions which he should take. [CompuServe
message from Jim Radney, RAD/SWRO, 8/8]
91-379 - Big South Fork (Tennessee/Kentucky) - Marijuana
Eradication
During the period from July 22nd to August 2nd, the park
employed personnel and two helicopters from the 101st Airborne
Division to seek out marijuana cultivation sites in the park.
The pilots were Desert Storm veterans and the spotters were
rangers. A total of 72 patches containing 6,439 plants were
discovered by the teams. Ground crews consisting of rangers,
sheriff's deputies and a Forest Service officer removed the
plants from the sites. The majority of the plants were found in
the Kentucky section of the park, which is adjacent to Daniel
Boone National Forest. Seven booby traps were found around the
perimeter of one of the patches. No arrests were made, but a
couple of patches were left untouched for future surveillance
purposes. [Telefax from John Cannon, CR, BISO, 8/7]
91-380 - Big Bend (Texas) - Rescue
A team comprised of rangers, volunteers and medics from
Terlingua, Texas, rescued G.M., a twenty-six-year-old
concession employee, from a rock chute in Mouse Canyon on August
1st. G.M. had fallen 30 feet down the chute and had suffered
multiple broken bones, cuts, contusions and lacerations. It
took rescuers five hours to carry G.M. to the nearest road.
He was then flown to a hospital in Lubbock, where he is reported
to be in stable condition. [Roger Moder, BIBE, via CompuServe
message from Bonnie Winslow, RAD/SWRO, 8/8]
91-381 - KalokoHonokohau (Hawaii) - Storm Damage
A tropical storm which had been downgraded from hurricane status
passed about 400 miles south of the island of Hawaii on August
7th. Wind speeds as high as 65 mph were recorded in the park;
off shore wind gusts reached 85 mph. The park was closed to the
public at noon on Wednesday, and was expected to reopen sometime
on Thursday. Cleanup activities were underway at the time of
the report. The total estimated cost for cleanup work and
repairs to damage has been placed at about $4,500. No injuries
were reported. A single structure, occupied by a person
residing there under permit, was damaged and evacuated, but it's
expected that the resident will be able to return to the house.
[Francis Kuailani, Superintendent, KAHO, via CompuServe message
from Carl Christensen, RAD/WRO, 8/8]
91-382 - Yellowstone (Wyoming) - Drug Arrests
Old Faithful rangers concluded a monthlong undercover drug
investigation on July 10th with the arrests of J.B.,
19, and N.G., 18, for misdemeanor sale and
distribution of controlled substances. A third suspect, S.K.,
19, fled the park but was subsequently arrested in Las
Vegas, Nevada, on the same charges. All three are TWRS
concession employees in the park. J.B. and N.G. are from
New York; S.K. is from Washington. An undercover officer
posing as a concession employee was able to purchase marijuana,
LSD and mushrooms from the three men. Officers from the
adjacent Gallatin County sheriff's department and Bozeman police
department assisted with the operation. Followup investigations
are continuing and more arrests are possible. [CompuServe
message from Bob Love, CI, YELL, 8/8]
91-383 - North Cascades (Washington) - Rescue
On August 6th, D.C., 45, of Knoxville, Tennessee, lost his
footing while approaching the Fisher Chimneys on the west side
of Mount Shuksan and slid 200 feet across snow and rocks. D.C.
was knocked unconscious for about half an hour, and suffered
multiple abrasions and lacerations of the head. One of his two
climbing companions went for help and reported the incident to a
trail crew working nearby in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.
Rangers were notified and the park dispatched a helicopter to
the scene of the accident. D.C. was stabilized at the scene,
then transported to St. Luke's Hospital in Bellingham for
evaluation and treatment. [Dave Spirtes, CR, NOCA, via
CompuServe message from Diane Wisely, RAD/PNRO, 8/8]
91-384 - Mount Rainier (Washington) - MVA with Two Fatalities
On the afternoon of August 7th, a motor vehicle accident
occurred one mile east of Backbone Ridge overlook. Two of the
passengers in the 1972 VW hatchback were killed; the two
survivors, both seriously injured, were airlifted to Yakima
Memorial Hospital and are listed in critical condition. Two of
the passengers one of whom was killed and the other of whom was
injured were Norwegian citizens. The consulate in Seattle has
been notified, but names are being held pending notification of
families. An investigation into the cause of the accident is
underway. [Dispatch, MORA, via CompuServe message from Diane
Wisely, RAD/PNRO, 8/8]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) ACTIVITY LEVEL Planning Level II
2) FIRE SUMMARY
State Agency Area Fire 8/8 8/9 Status
*** No major fires reported ***
3) 1990/1991 COMPARATIVE ACTIVITY SUMMARY
Fires Acres
1990 (Year-to-date) 42,972 3,160,924
1991 (Year-to-date) 55,669 1,906,223
1990-1991 (% difference) + 30% 40%
4) ANALYSIS - Some areas in the West are reporting very high to
extreme indices. Yesterday's lightning was limited to the
Southwest and most thunderstorms were wet. Initial attack
continues in most areas.
5) PROGNOSIS - Initial attack activity will continue and increase
due to forecasted red flag watches and warnings.
[Fire Management Situation Report, NIFCC Intelligence Section,
8/8]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
1) As of Monday, August 12th, Joel Wright and the rest of the
Operation Alliance staff will be housed in new offices. The new
mailing address is: Operation Alliance, P.O. Box 8051, El Paso,
Texas 79908. Package mail should be sent to the following
address: Operation Alliance, Sgt. Sims Road, Building #11606,
Biggs Army Air Field, El Paso, Texas 77916. The telephone and
telefax numbers are as follows: Telephone 915-540-6200 through
6220 or FTS 570-6200 through 6220; telefax 915-540-6229 or FTS
570-6229. [Jim Radney, RAD/SWRO]
STAFF STATUS
Division Chief (Acting): No leave or travel scheduled.
Branch of Resource & Visitor Protection: Coffey on annual leave
(8/5-8/9); Marriott on annual leave (8/9).
Branch of Fire & Aviation: Erskine on AL (8/5-8/16); Clark on AL
(8/5-8/10).
Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities
Telephone: FTS 268-4874/6039 or 202-208-4874/6039
Telefax: FTS 268-5977 or 202-208-5977
CompuServe: WASO-RANGER (Branch of R&VP); WASO-FIRE-WO (Branch of Fire)
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