RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
CC: RAD Information Net
Day/date: Tuesday, August 27, 1991
*** NOTICE ***
There will be no morning reports during the balance of the week.
They will resume on Tuesday, September 3.
INCIDENTS
91-410 - Cape Cod (Massachusetts) - Followup on Hurricane Bob
Significant progress has been made in cleaning up the park over
the past few days:
Facilities - It's now estimated that about 40% of all facilities
in the park were impacted by the hurricane either through structural
damage or downed trees. Work has been completed or is in progress at
about a third of them. A number of homes are still without power.
Trails - About twothirds of the park's trails have been cleared
and cleanup efforts are underway on most of those remaining.
Roads - All major roads throughout the park have been cleared of
downed trees and cleaned of debris. Chipping crews are now focusing
on secondary roads and cleaning bike trails. Chipping on
secondary roads will probably take at least another week.
Closures - All beaches, roads, bike trails, picnic areas and
hiking trails are now open.
A total of 62 people are committed to cleanup efforts, including
16 from other parks. Two more carpenters have been requested,
and the park will probably retain one of the outofpark chipping
crews for another week. The total cost of the cleanup effort to
date (overtime, per diem, equipment, lodging and shipping) has
been placed at just over $25,000. [Telefax from CACO, 8/26]
91-430 - Sequoia/Kings Canyon (California) - Followup on Search
On August 18th, the park began a search for L.S., 31,
a Marine stationed in Tustin, California, when he failed to
return from a twoweeklong hike in the park. Search efforts
began with attempts to determine L.S.' route of travel and
to contact other hikers who might have seen him. L.S.
preferred to hike crosscountry and stay off trails and planned a
150-mile loop trip. Although he carried maps with his exact
route with him, he'd only described the trip in general with his
family. The search area was therefore several hundred thousand
acres in size. Some 700 permits were subsequently reviewed and
numerous hikers were contacted. Only two people said that they
had seen L.S., and that he'd been near New Army Pass on
August 5th. Park personnel, four WOOF dog teams and three
helicopters one each from the park, Sequoia NF and Rogers
Helicopters were utilized in the search. Members of the park's
FIREPRO crew found L.S.' body on the 23rd in Rock Creek
Gorge. The body was recovered by helicopter long line the
following day after technical climbers reached his body.
Preliminary investigation indicates that L.S. was attempting
to climb down through Rock Creek into Kern Canyon. Rock Creek
Gorge is extremely rocky, steep and narrow, and it appears that
he may have fallen, injured himself, slipped into the creek, and
gone over a 25foot water fall. The 24th was a busy day for
rescuers in the park. In addition to the recovery of L.S.'
body, there were four other helicopter medevacs involving the
park's contract ship and a California Highway Patrol helicopter.
The park has had 71 search and rescue operations or medical
evacuations to date this year, 57 of which have utilized
helicopters. [Mike Warren, SEKI, via CompuServe message from
Carl Christensen, RAD/WRO, 8/26]
91-438 - Big South Fork (Kentucky/Tennessee) - Marijuana
Eradication
Rangers recently concluded the second ground and aerial
marijuana eradication operation to be conducted in the park this
summer. During the August effort, rangers discovered and
removed 1,390 sinsemilla plants. While flying a spotting
mission on August 21st, observers in a fixed-wing aircraft from
Cape Hatteras spotted a large garden just outside park
boundaries in Scott County, Tennessee. Ground investigation by
county deputies and rangers led to the discovery of nearly 7,000
mature sinsemilla plants. Eradication efforts were begun, and
the park brought in portable generators and emergency lighting
to assist with the removal effort, which continued into the
early morning hours of the 22nd. [Telefax from John Cannon, CR,
BISO, 8/26]
91-439 - Jefferson National Expansion (Missouri) - Special Event
The Veiled Prophet Fair, normally held over the Fourth of July
weekend, will be held over the Labor Day weekend this year.
Four SET teams three from Midwest and one from MidAtlantic and
US Park Police officers will be assisting park rangers in
providing crowd control and visitor safety during the weekend.
About 2.5 million people are expected over the course of the
fourday event. The fair will feature fireworks, numerous air
shows and concerts with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Huey
Lewis and the News, Styx, Bill Cosby, Smokey Robinson and Kenny
Rogers. [Telefax from Tom Thompson, RAD/MWRO, 8/26]
91-440 - Hawaii Volcanoes (Hawaii) - Search and Rescue
On the evening of August 25th, the park received a report that
B.S., 16, and J.F., 15, both of Encinitas,
California, were missing. The two had last been seen entering
the Ola'a Tract, an area of very heavy vegetation. They were
wearing only tank tops and jeans and had neither food nor water.
Rain fell throughout the night, but skies partially cleared the
following morning. A full-scale search was initiated
whichemployed helicopters, grid searches and containment patrols.
The park reported that the two boys were found late yesterday
and that they were in good condition. Details are to follow.
[Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, via CompuServe message from Carl
Christensen, RAD/WRO, 8/26]
91-441 - Shenandoah (Virginia) - Assist on Structural Fire
Just after 6:30 p.m. on August 21st, park VIP's Amy Eghott and
Amanda Allen were traveling down Tanners Ridge Road, a state
secondary road which connects to a park administrative road,
when they observed a fire in a residence immediately west of the
park boundary. They reported it to an off-duty ranger, who in
turn reported it to the park. Engines from the park and the
Stanley volunteer fire department responded. The area has no
developed water system, so the park's engine was used to shuttle
water to the Stanley attack engines. The residence was
destroyed, but other structures were protected. The park engine
was also utilized to foam down the remains of the structure and
prevent rekindling. No injuries or equipment damage were
reported. The fire is being investigated by the local sheriff's
department. [Telefax from Greg Stiles, ACR, SHEN, 8/22]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) ACTIVITY LEVEL Planning Level II
2) FIRE SUMMARY
State Agency Area Fire 8/26 8/27 Status
ID BLM Boise Dist. Red Canyon 2,500 2,500 CN 8/30
Burley Dist. Bonanza Bar 600 640 CL
Salmon Dist. McKim T1 3,000+ 4,600 CN 8/30
Idaho Falls Dist. * Wheat Grass 3,900 NEC
USFS Payette NF Rush Creek 2,000+ 2,000+ CN 9/15
WY USFS Shoshone NF * Kimana 100 NEC
State Canyon Creek T2 400 400 CN 8/27
MT USFS Lewis & Clark NF Harrison Creek T2 700 550 CN 8/30
NV BLM S. L. City Dist. West Stansberry 750 750 CL
* East Slope 145 CL
OR BLM Vale Dist. Balm Creek Mine 800 940 CN
CA USAF Beale AFB * Beale 1,000 CN 8/27
AK USFWS Tetlin NWR 113349 T2 17,250 18,750 NEC
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) 47,108 3,716,256
1991 (Year-to-date) 60,906 2,018,028
1990-1991 (% difference) + 29% 46%
4) FIRE ACTIVITY 279 fires for 10,897 acres reported in the
past 24 hours.
5) ANALYSIS - Containment targets are being met on most large
fires in the West. Initial attack activity has decreased in
most areas.
7) PROGNOSIS - Continued activity is expected. The potential
exists for holdover fires from recent lightning and from
forecasted thunderstorms.
[Fire Management Situation Report, NIFCC Intelligence Section,
8/27]
STAFF STATUS
Division Chief (Acting): Martin at ranger museum dedication,
Yellowstone (8/23-8/26).
Branch of Resource & Visitor Protection: Schamp at FLETC, Glynco,
GA (8/26-8/30); Halainen on annual leave (8/27-8/30).
Branch of Fire & Aviation: Erskine in Alaska Regional Office,
Anchorage, AK (8/19-8/28); Spruill on aviation program
orientation in Alaska (8/18-8/29); Norum on trip to approve
research sites, Fairbanks, AK (8/16-8/26); Bristol at COTR
training, Denver, CO (8/25-8/30).
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)
SEAdog: 1/650