NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Friday, August 16, 1996 - SPECIAL EDITION

Broadcast: 12:20 p.m. EDT

Acting Director John Reynolds has signed the following memorandum, entitled
"Current Wildfire Emergency," and transmitted it to all field directors:

                                *  *  *  *  *

Dry lightning continues to contribute to escalating wildfire activity in the
northern Rockies, Northwest, and eastern Great Basin under persistent hot and
dry weather conditions.  Initial attack activity continues in the Southwest,
and while the potential there for large fires has moderated some, it may
increase with a drying trend.

The National Multi-Agency Coordination (MAC) Group has declared a national
preparedness level V based on the prevalence of large scale project type
fires in several geographic areas creating intense competition for wildfire
suppression and support resources.  

In all agencies, initial attack forces are becoming taxed with the number of
fire starts and the weather conditions.  Attention to prompt initial attack
remains essential to control fires while they are small and prevent any
further compounding of the national situation.

All offices are to assess their need for qualified fire personnel and make
available those not essential to initial attack or critical park operations. 
Permanent employees should be assigned to overhead assignments, wherever
possible, while seasonal employees should generally fill our commitments for
crew assignments.  Those personnel that have received additional training
since their last assignment should be identified for a qualifying trainee
assignment into that newly acquired skill.  Program managers are reminded
that they have backfilling authority for positions assigned to emergency
wildfire operations (see Section 1.2, NPS Fire Management Compendium; Section
IV, Chapter 1, Page 3, NPS-18).

All Areas are to expedite their mobilization efforts in concert with their
cooperators.

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Distribution of the Morning Report is through a mailing list managed by park,
office and/or field area cc:Mail hub coordinators.  Please address requests
for the Morning Report to your servicing hub coordinator.

Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the cooperation and
support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.

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