RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
CC: RAD Information Net
Day/date: Monday, September 30, 1991
INCIDENTS
91-518 - Delaware Water Gap (New Jersey/Pennsylvania) - Car Clout
Arrests
On August 26th, visitors to Delaware Water Gap saw two men
breaking into their vehicle and chased them into Worthington
State Forest, which is within the park's legislative boundary.
A search and stakeout of a suspicious vehicle by park rangers
resulted in the apprehension of L.E. and R.S.
A search incident to the arrest led to the discovery
of stolen property from several car clouts which had occurred in
the immediate area. Due to limited jurisdiction (proprietary in
that section of the park), the investigation was conducted
jointly with New Jersey state police officers. Additional
interviews with other suspects in the case led to the discovery
of sufficient information to charge L.E. and J.J.
with one count each of burglary, theft and criminal mischief.
The investigation is continuing, and more charges may be
forthcoming. Information received so far indicates that these
two men are members of a larger group which has been active in
burglaries and larcenies in a three state area. The
investigation leading to the arrests was conducted by ranger
Wayne Valentine and criminal investigator Greg Jablonski.
[CompuServe message from Barry Sullivan, Acting CR, DEWA, 9/26]
91-519 - Point Reyes (California) - Marijuana Cultivation Arrest
Rangers Larry IntHout and Paige Ritterbusch located a plantation
with 111 marijuana plants on it during reconnaissance patrols of
the backcountry on September 6th and 7th. Covert surveillance
of the plantation was begun and videotapes of the area were made
for evidence. A suspect K.G. of Berkeley, California
was identified, and rangers and Berkeley police executed a
search warrant on his residence on September 21st. The search
revealed drying racks, scales, marijuana, a small amount of
cocaine, timecontrolled watering devices, and photographs of
marijuana cultivation activities. K.G. had two outstanding
warrants against him one for false registration, and the other
for a probation violation and was accordingly arrested by the
Berkeley officers. Investigators also learned that K.G. had
previously been arrested for narcotics violations in East Bay
regional parks. The NPS investigation is continuing. The
street value of the marijuana has been placed at $333,000.
[LeeRoy Brock, CR, PORE, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke,
RAD/WRO, 9/26]
91-520 - Golden Gate (California) - Water Rescue
Park maintenance worker Dennis Glass spotted a surfer caught in
a rip current off Ocean Beach on the morning of September 25th.
Rangers Norm Simon and Steve Prokop responded along with two U.S.
Coast Guard rescue boats and San Francisco fire department
personnel. The surfer, F.K., 24, of Woodland Hills,
California, was being carried rapidly northward by the current
when rescued. Since he was in a wet suit and still on his
surfboard, he was in good condition. Rangers remained on scene
to warn other surfers of the danger. This was the fourth rescue
that had taken place in the park that day. [Norm Simons, GOGA,
via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 9/26]
91-521 - Statue of Liberty (New York) - Rescue
On the afternoon of September 19th, park maintenance foreman Joe
Grigoli was in the park's food concession building when he was
informed that L.K., 63, of Hobson, Texas, had become
unconscious. Grigoli found L.K.'s airway obstructed,
performed the Heimlich maneuver and notified dispatch of the
situation. Lieutenant Mike Fellner of the Park Police and
rangers Steve Connor, Ken Mehne and Dave McCutcheon, all EMT's,
arrived shortly thereafter, found that L.K. was cyanotic and
in cardiac arrest, and began CPR. The concession building was
cleared of park visitors and a landing zone was secured for a
medevac helicopter. L.K. was taken to a local hospital.
Doctors there subsequently reported that L.K. would likely
make a full recovery and that she would not have survived
without the rangers' life-saving efforts. [Telefax from Mike
Fellner, Acting CR, STLI, 9/25]
91-522 - Organ Pipe Cactus (Arizona) - Drug Interdiction Operation
On September 22nd, U.S. Customs agents requested assistance from
the park for an undercover detail on the Tohono O'Oodham
reservation as part of an operation being conducted by Operation
Alliance, a multi-agency task force. Ranger Bob Stinson joined
Customs agents and Pima County detectives at a point where a
marijuana delivery was to be made. After a five-hour stakeout,
team members observed five males approaching the area carrying
large quantities of marijuana from the Mexican border. The men
were arrested and an undercover agent delivered the load to a
house in Tucson. Raids were subsequently carried out on this
house and a second dwelling elsewhere in the city. Over 250
pounds of marijuana were found by a county K9 unit behind a
false wall in a hallway closet in one of the buildings. The
investigation of the smuggling ring continues. [Cheto Olias, CR,
ORPI, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 9/26]
91-523 - Delaware Water Gap (New Jersey/Pennsylvania) - Successful
Rescue
Park dispatch received a report of overdue hikers at about 9:30
p.m. on the evening of the 26th. The group, comprised of six 12
to 14-year-olds from Woodmere Academy and the Lawrence County Day
School, were overdue at the Brink's Shelter on the Appalachian
Trail. Although inexperienced in outdoor activities, the group
was reported in good physical shape and amplyequipped. Due to
their youth and inexperience, though, the park initiated a hasty
search in conjunction with rangers from Stokes State Park and
New Jersey state troopers. The overdue party was eventually
located by ranger Brad Clawson atop Mount Paradise around 3:30
a.m. They were about two-and-a-half miles south of their
destination. Arrangements were made for the group to remain at
that location through the night and to hike out with an adult
leader the next morning. [CompuServe message from Barry
Sullivan, Acting CR, DEWA, 9/27]
91-524 - Hawaii Volcanoes (Hawaii) - Successful Rescue
R.G., a 31-year-old worker for a fence contractor in the
park, became lost while working at the 7,000-foot level on Mauna
Loa on September 26th. R.G. and a co-worker started back along
the fence to their vehicles around 11:45 a.m. with R.G. in the
lead. When R.G.'s partner reached the vehicles, though,
R.G. was not there. He searched for R.G. for five hours
without luck, then reported him missing. R.G. was reportedly
no an outdoorsman and not well-suited to taking care of himself
on his own. The location where he became lost was about a mile
from the point where another fence contractor employee had
disappeared a few weeks ago. The park conducted a hasty search
on the morning of the 27th and found R.G. about a mile from
the point last seen. He was unhurt, but suffered from
exhaustion and exposure. [Jim Martin, CR, HAVO, via Carl
Christensen, RAD/WRO, 9/27]
91-525 - Indiana Dunes (Indiana) - Suspected Arson
An unoccupied structure under a use permit was totally destroyed
by fire on September 26th. Park firefighters, assisted by units
from five towns, extinguished the blaze. The building had been
empty for years and did not have active utility lines. An
investigation into the cause is underway by ranger Fred Grish,
who is also a member of the county arson task force. A strike
by independent steel haulers was in progress at the east gate of
Bethlehem Steel, about 200 yards from the building, at the time
of the fire. No connection between the strike and the fire has
yet been made. [Joni Jones, INDU, via CompuServe message from
John Townsend, RAD/MWRO, 9/27]
91-526 - Big Bend (Texas) - Flooding
Over the past few days, flood waters from Mexico's Rio Conchos
have run into the Rio Grande, causing the river to rise above
flood stage and leading to the closure of some highways, trails
and campgrounds in the park. The National Weather Service has
issued a flood advisory for the section of the river from
Presidio, Texas, downstream about 200 miles to Amistad. The
park closed the Old Maverick Road, roads to Santa Elena Canyon
and Paint Gap, and other backcountry roads and trails. The
flooding is occurring because two weeks of rain in the Mexican
state of Chihuahua caused reservoirs to overflow dams along the
Rio Conchos. [UPI news story, 9/29]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) FIRE SITUATION Preparedness Level II
One geographic area experiencing high fire danger. Numerous
Class A, B, and C fires occurring and a potential exists for
escapes to larger (project) fires. Minimal mobilization of
resources from other geographic areas occurring. The potential
exists for mobilizing additional resources from other geographic
areas.
2) FIRE SUMMARY
State Agency Area Fire 9/29 9/30 Status
CA NPS Yosemite NP Ill T2 3,814 3,814 CN
Frog 2,655 2,655 NEC, MS
USFS Shas.Trin. NF *Big Bar Comp. T2 260 495 CN 10/1
ID USFS Nez Perce NF *Rackliff 130 130 CN 9/30
Payette *Fawn Creek 230 230 CN
OR USFS Mt. Hood NF *Beeline T2 180 180 CN
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 NARRATIVES
a) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE:
Yosemite (California)
Ill Fire - Strong winds of up to 50 mph pushed the fire past its
containment area on Thursday, forcing the closure of the
Vernal/Nevada Falls trail complex. Rangers walked all the
closed trails, escorting visitors to the valley. Backpackers in
Little Yosemite Valley were escorted to Merced Laek, about eight
miles away. The park employed a helicopter on Thursday evening
to evacuate 55 day hikers from Little Yosemite Valley. All were
day hikers with no overnmight gear who were unable to return to
Yosemite Valley because of the trail closure. Smoke
concentrations in the valley were reported to be quite variable,
but dense at times. The fire has now been contained.
Frog Fire - The fire is now being managed under modified
suppression strategy.
4) ANALYSIS - California and the Northwest continue to report
very high to extreme indices. Containment targets have been met
on most large fires and demobilization is in progress.
5) PROGNOSIS - Fire activity is expected to moderate because
lightning is not expected in areas with extreme fire danger.
The potential for humancause fires continues, however, because
of the onset of hunting seasons.
[NIFCC Intelligence Section, 0733 EDT, 9/30]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
1) Jim Brady is now on board here in Ranger Activities. He can
be reached through the main divisional numbers listed below.
STAFF STATUS
Division Chief: Brady at California state ranger conference,
Sacramento, CA (10/2-10/3).
Branch of Resource & Visitor Protection: Kreis at reservation
system post-award conference, Reston, VA (10/2-10/3).
Branch of Fire & Aviation: Broyles at NPS regional safety
officer meeting, Omaha, NB (9/29-10/3); Norum chairing
interagency task group on prescribed fire complexity, Denver, CO
(10/1-10/5).
Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities
Telephone: All Offices FTS 2684874/6039 or 2022084874/6039
Telefax: Branch of R&VP FTS 2686756 or 2022086756
Branch of Fire FTS 2685977 or 2022085977
CompuServe: Branch of R&VP WASO-RANGER
Branch of Fire WASO-FIRE-WO
SEAdog: All Offices 1/650