RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
Ranger Activities Division Information Network
Day/Date: Wednesday, October 16, 1991
INCIDENTS
91-565 - Sequoia/Kings Canyon (California) - Explosives
On the evening of October 13th, a group of Marines who'd climbed to the top
of Moro Rock reported that they had found an explosive device there.
Rangers from Lodgepole confirmed the report and evacuated and secured the
area until the following morning, when a bomb squad from Tulare County was
flown to the scene by a California Highway Patrol helicopter. The device
was identified as a 40mm, rifle-launched, high-explosive grenade, possibly
armed and probably unstable. It was determined that the only safe way to
handle the device was to detonate it in place. An investigation into the
incident is underway. [Doug Morris, CR, SEKI, via CompuServe message from
Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 10/15]
91-566 - Hawaii Volcanoes (Hawaii) - Falling Fatality
E.R., a 23-year-old seaman from the U.S.S. Worden, was killed on
the evening of October 15th when he fell about 250 feet into the crater of
Mt. Kilauea. E.R. was leading three other Navy men in a hike up the
mountain to an overlook. They were climbing in single file in darkness
without the benefit of flashlights. E.R. apparently didn't see the
crater's lip and walked right over. His body was recovered the following
morning by a team of six park rangers assisted by a helicopter. [AP news
story, 10/12; Paul Ducasse, HAVO, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke,
RAD/WRO, 10/15]
91-567 - Delaware Water Gap (Pennsylvania/New Jersey) - Rescue
On October 14th, A.S., 20, and S.J., 24, and two friends,
all of them from Philadelphia, were rock scrambling without technical gear
on a near vertical slope above the Point of Gap overlook when Semati lost
his footing and hand holds and fell. S.J. attempted to reach him
without success, and both subsequently fell about 40 feet to the talus slope
below. Rangers responded, stabilized the two men, and executed belayed
evacuations to the overlook parking lot. A.S. was treated at the scene
for multiple lacerations to the head, a fractured clavicle, and possible
fractures of his lumbar vertebrae, then transported to a local hospital by
medevac helicopter; S.J. was treated at the scene for a fractured right
ankle, a fractured right hand, and multiple lacerations of the head, then
taken by ambulance to another hospital, where he was treated and released.
The other two climbers were not injured in the incident. [CompuServe
message from Barry Sullivan, Acting CR, DEWA, 10/15]
FIRE ACTIVITY
Sequoia/Kings Canyon (California) - The Deer Fire, a prescribed natural
fire, continues to burn within prescription. As of October 14th, it had
burned about 550 acres. There has been very little evidence of scorching in
the East Fork sequoia grove. Park crews remain committed to the fire to
prevent it from crossing to the north side of the East Fork of the Kaweah
River and to protect a 20-acre plot of private land in the area. The
forecast calls for some cooling and higher humidities in the area over the
next several days. The fire is expected to remain active in some areas
until significant moisture is received.
OPERATIONAL NOTES
1) Granville "Granny" Liles, a career ranger and manager in the NPS, died at
his home on October 12th. During his career, "Granny" served as
superintendent of Blue Ridge, Death Valley and Rocky Mountain, assistant
superintendent of Yosemite, and associate regional director in SERO. He is
survived by his wife, three sons, a daughter, a sister and six grandchildren.
No services will be held at this time. The family requests that memorials
be made to the American Cancer Society. Condolences may be sent to Mrs.
Mary Liles, 3672 Gazebo Drive, Shawsville, VA 24162. [Howard Parr, CR, BLRI]
2) A couple of matters pertaining to the Morning Report: 1) It appears that
some offices may not have received the 10/15 report. If you're one of them,
please let us know and we will retransmit it to you. 2) As of last Friday,
we began producing the Morning Report in WP 5.1 and transmitting it (as
before) as a DOS text file. Some parks have called to say that they've been
getting extra carriage returns in the new version, though, and have asked
how they can be removed. After downloading, try setting your margins
at .75". That should do it. [Bill Halainen, RAD/WASO]
STAFF STATUS
Division Chief: No leave or travel scheduled.
Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Marriott at drug operations
meeting (10/16-10/17).
Branch of Fire and Aviation: Hurd at IFCC fire education workshop, Boise, ID
(10/15-10/18); Farrel at metropolitan structural fire planning conference,
Orlando, FL (10/14-10/17) and structural fire review at Big Cypress,
Everglades and Biscayne (10/18-10/22); Bristol at InciNet committee meeting,
Denver, CO (10/15-10/18); Erskine and Gale instructing at MAC Group cadre
meeting, NARTC, Marana, AZ (10/16-10/18); Norum and Broyles on AL (10/15-
10/18).
Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities
Telephone: All Offices - FTS 268-4874/6039 or 202-208-4874/6039
Telefax: Branch of R&VP - FTS 268-6756 or 202-208-6756
Branch of Fire - FTS 268-5977 or 202-208-5977
CompuServe: Branch of R&VP - WASO-RANGER
Branch of Fire - WASO-FIRE-WO
SEAdog: All Offices - 1/650