- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Tuesday, August 19, 1997
- Date: Tues, 19 Aug 1997
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Tuesday, August 19, 1997
Broadcast: By 1000 ET
INCIDENTS
96-700 - Grand Canyon NP (Arizona) - Follow-up on Homicide
On December 13, 1996, rangers responded to a stabbing at a motel just outside
the park. They secured the area, detained suspect H.C., and provided
EMS treatment for victim T.C. T.C. died shortly after his
arrival at the Grand Canyon medical clinic. Rangers Kent Keller and Nancy
Mecham later testified at H.C.'s trial. H.C. was found guilty of second
degree murder this week. [Dave Brennan, SDR, South Rim, GRCA, 8/18]
97-353 - Saguaro NP (AZ) - Follow-up on Homicide
The victim of the homicide which occurred in the park on July 18th has been
identified as R.B., a 16-year-old high school student from
Marana, Arizona. She was shot with a .380 caliber firearm in a pullout just
two-tenths of a mile from the visitor's center and ranger residences. Hikers
in the area heard shots at 10:45 p.m. R.B. was last seen at her home
at 7:30 p.m. that evening, and had planned to meet friends at a local youth
center. Several leads are being pursued, including a possible drug
connection. A $15,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an
arrest. Local media coverage has been extensive. [Dan Wirth, SA, SOAR,
8/14]
97-454 - Glen Canyon NRA (UT/AZ) - Follow-up on Flash Flood with Fatalities
The search for the remaining two victims of the Antelope Canyon flood
continued yesterday, but neither was found. Debris is spreading down the
canyon, making it impossible to get close to the main debris field with the
boats currently in use. A surplus military jet boat will therefore be
employed to enter the area. The search is being conducted jointly by the
park and the Coconino County sheriff's department. Current plans are to
continue twice daily checks of the canyon through tomorrow night. If the
remaining victims have not been found by that time, a new team of scent dogs
and handlers will be brought to the search area. Representatives from the
sheriff's department and park escorted the families of the British and
Swedish victims through the area checked by the park boat yesterday.
Although no media are left in the area, the park is receiving telephone calls
requesting updates. The calls are being referred to the sheriff's office in
Flagstaff. [Tomie Lee, CR, GLCA, 8/18]
97-460 - Zion NP (UT) - Storm and Flash Flood Impacts
Early on the morning of August 10th, an unexpected thunderstorm dropped an
inch and a quarter of rain on the park (as measured at headquarters) during a
three-hour period - just under 10 percent of the park's average annual
precipitation. The storm also produced very active lightning. Rainfall
totals may have been higher along the Zion-Mount Carmel Road on the park's
east side. The road soon became blocked by debris and washouts, and was
closed by rangers. At the park's request, county deputies intercepted park-
bound traffic 13 miles further east at Carmel Junction on U.S. 89 and advised
them of road problems and delays; before they were able to get in position,
however, over 100 vehicles had stacked up at the east entrance. A roads and
trails crew headed by Jeff Ballard responded and found blockages in three
different locations over a two-and-a-quarter mile stretch of road. The road
was reopened in the afternoon after eroded portions were filled in with many
truckloads of base material and debris was removed. Crews also dealt with
minor washouts in the Watchman housing area. As a result of the heavy
runoff, the flow of the Virgin River increased over a hundredfold, rising six
feet and accelerating from 30 cubic feet per second (cfs) to over 3,000 cfs.
Over 30 hikers had received overnight permits the previous day for the 16-
mile-long Zion Narrows hike on the North Fork of the Virgin River, a hike
which would have brought them out that day. Two hikers disregarded
instructions to seek higher ground and to wait for waters to recede and
instead decided to swim out of the canyon while the river was at severe flood
stage. Both made it, but they lost most of their gear in the process.
Others who stayed at their camps reported seeing the two pulled under several
times as they swam past. The river receded by Monday, and the remaining
groups of hikers made it out. By this time, park dispatch had received
several reports of overdue parties. The hikers were interviewed as they
exited the canyon; all reported that their designated campsites were above
the flood line and that they were never in danger from rising water. [Denny
Davies, CI/PIO, ZION, 8/12]
97-461 - American Memorial (Saipan) - Typhoon Winnie
Super-Typhoon Winnie, with sustained winds of 160 mph and gusts of up to 195
mph, was expected to pass 125 miles north of the island late on the evening
of August 13th (local time). At the time of the report, winds were blowing
at about 50 mph, with gusts to 75 mph, and all park operations had been
suspended until further notice. About half of the trees in the parks
landscaped areas had been uprooted or had suffered major limb damage and some
flooding had occurred. All park buildings were okay. [Chuck Sayon, Site
Manager, AMME, 8/13]
97-462 - Delaware Water Gap NRA (NJ/PA) - Storm Impacts
A brief but violent thunderstorm crossed the southern section of the park on
the afternoon of August 16th, blowing down numerous trees and knocking out
power in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania. River Road and Old Mine Road were
closed within the park along with several connecting roads to adjacent
communities. Local power companies estimated that nearly 150,000 people were
affected by the power outages. Power remained out on the following day,
resulting in the closure of Smithfield Beach. The storm's impacts were most
severe in Worthington State Forest, which is within the park's boundaries in
New Jersey; about 250 trees were knocked down, several vehicles and/or tents
were crushed, and three campers were injured. Park rangers and maintenance
employees moved rapidly to reopen roads to facilitate the movement of
emergency vehicles and crews into the state forest. [Doyle Nelson, CR, DEWA,
8/18]
97-463 - Katmai NP (AK) - Boat Sinkings with Fuel Spills
The park received a report of a boat burning on a river within park waters on
August 12th. An interagency response was initiated which involved park
personnel, area firefighters and an oil spill team from a nearby Air Force
base. The vessel, a 45-foot cabin cruiser with 300 gallons of fuel on board,
was fully engulfed upon arrival. The three occupants had escaped. Due to
the intense heat and smoke, firefighters had to stand off until the boat
burned to the water line; meanwhile, park and Air Force personnel placed a
boom and containment material downstream from the boat, which was producing a
fuel sheen. The boat eventually sank in 12 feet of water. Spilled fluids
were contained, but the boat was a total loss. The spill occurred in world
class rainbow trout habitat and along a corridor that is a concentration area
for one of the world's largest sockeye salmon runs. This is the second
vessel sinking and spill to occur in the park this season. In the first
incident, a fishing vessel ran around on a rocky islet, then sank with about
a thousand gallons of fuel still aboard. Wreckage was left along a two-mile
stretch of coastline. All of the boat's occupants were rescued by the Coast
Guard. The captain of the vessel was subsequently arrested when it was
learned that his blood alcohol level was .15, that he was asleep at the time
of the accident, and that there were outstanding warrants against him. The
islet serves as a haul-out point for Stellar sea lions, a threatened marine
species. [James Hummel, KATM, 8/12]
97-464 - Grand Teton NP (WY) - Rescue
On August 6th, T.P., 43, of College Station, Texas, sustained
serious injuries in a 200-foot fall down the east face route of Mt. Teewinot.
T.P. slipped on snow while descending the peak and was unable to arrest
her fall with her ice axe; she ended up plunging into a six-foot-deep moat.
Rangers received the report at 7 p.m., flew via park contract helicopter to a
small landing zone midway up the east face, then climbed to the scene.
Advanced life support measures were utilized to stabilize T.P., who was
extracted by helicopter short haul just before night fell. She is being
treated in a Jackson hospital for head trauma and possible fractures of the
extremities. [Colin Campbell, CR, GRTE, 8/12]
97-465 - Delaware Water Gap NRA (NJ/PA) - Bomb Threat; Closures
A bomb threat which was received by the Delaware Bridge Commission around
1:30 p.m. on August 15th led to the closure of the I-80 bridge over the
Delaware River. The caller indicated that the bomb was to go off at 4 p.m.
the park moved quickly to close and evacuate the nearby Kittatinny Point
visitor center and to warn and evacuate all river users in the area. The
river access points at Kittatinny Point and Smithfield Beach were closed, and
all river users were diverted off the river upstream from the bridge. State
police teams swept the bridge. No bomb was found, and the bridge reopened at
4:15 p.m. [Doyle Nelson, CR, DEWA, 8/18]
97-466 - San Juan NHS (Puerto Rico) - Mountain Bike Fatality
An unidentified man, about 55 years old, was riding his mountain bike from
Fort El Morro to the bus drop-off area on El Morro Road before 6 a.m. on
August 14th when he struck a jogger, fell from his bike, and was apparently
killed by a head injury. The man may have had a heart attack, causing him to
lose control of the bike and hit the jogger. The jogger was not seriously
injured. The investigation continues. [Mark Hardgrove, Deputy
Superintendent, SAJU, 8/14]
[Additional reports pending...]
FIRE ACTIVITY
NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II
LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY
Sun Mon % Est
State Unit Fire/Incident IMT 8/17 8/18 Con Con
CA Angeles NF Narrows T1 11,510 13,408 61 NEC
State * Sierra -- - 500 0 NEC
Heading Notes
Unit -- Agency = BIA area; NF = national forest; RU = CA state resource
or ranger unit; RD = state ranger district; District = BLM
district; NWR = USFWS wildlife refuge
Fire -- * = newly reported fire (on this report); Cx = complex
IMT -- T1 = Type 1; T2 = Type II; ST = State Team
% Con -- Percent of fire contained
Est Con -- Estimated containment date; NEC = no estimated date of
containment; CND = fully contained; NR = no report
NUMBER OF NEW FIRES (FIVE DAY TREND)
NPS BIA BLM FWS States USFS Total
Thursday, 8/14 2 6 7 1 74 23 113
Friday, 8/15 1 5 5 3 90 34 138
Saturday, 8/16 2 0 4 0 47 22 75
Sunday, 8/17 2 0 8 0 30 21 61
Monday, 8/18 6 3 15 0 69 40 133
TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FIVE DAY TREND)
Crews Engines Helicopters Airtankers Overhead
Thursday, 8/14 157 221 47 17 487
Friday, 8/15 151 235 52 20 542
Saturday, 8/16 191 199 48 13 765
Sunday, 8/17 190 218 44 13 694
Monday, 8/18 160 256 37 13 655
COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT
1997: YTD Ten Year Average: YTD
Number of fires 45,967 56,537
Acres burned 2,639,840 2,217,766
CURRENT SITUATION
Large fire activity continued yesterday in southern California. Very high
and extreme fire indices were reported in California, Nevada, Arizona,
Washington, Oregon, and Louisiana.
[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 8/19]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Report pending.
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Reports pending.
MEMORANDA
No submissions.
EXCHANGE
Security Cages - Antietam NB has three security cages which fit 1992 and
newer Chevrolet Caprices. If you'd like one, you can either pick it up at
the park or pay for shipping. Contact Todd Stanton at NP--NCR for details.
MEETINGS, CONFERENCES AND EVENTS CALENDAR
Two calendars alternate in the Morning Report on Mondays - this one, which
contains meetings, conferences and events, and a second, which contains
workshops and training courses. If you know of a conference, meeting,
workshop or training session with Servicewide interest and implications,
please send the information along. Entries are listed no earlier than FOUR
months before the event, EXCEPT in instances in which registration dates
close much earlier. Asterisks indicate new entries; brackets at end of entry
indicate source of information. Brevity is appreciated.
8/25-31 -- 61st Annual Meeting, Society of American Archivists, Fairmont
Hotel, Chicago, IL. Contact: Call SAA, 312-922-0140. [Diane
Vogt O'Connor, DCA/WASO]
8/27-30 -- "Bridging Natural and Social Landscapes," 24th annual Natural
Areas Conference, Portland, OR. Contact: Gary Johnson, 202-208-
5886. [Tim Goddard, WASO]
8/31 -- Labor Day Concert, National Symphony, U.S. Capitol, Washington,
DC. Free. [PAO, NCRO]
9/2-6 -- Black Family Reunion, Washington Monument, Washington, DC.
Contact: National Council of Negro Women, 202-737-0120. [PAO,
NCRO]
9/10-11 -- International Energy and Environmental Congress, Richmond, VA.
One of several regional conferences sponsored by the Association
of Energy Engineers focusing on energy conservation and renewable
energy. Contact: Ted Collins, 202-586-8017. [Steve Hastings,
HOAL]
9/22-23 -- Annual Council Meeting, The Wildlife Society, Snowmass Village,
CO. Contact: Harry Hodgdon, The Wildlife Society, 301-897-9770
or tws@wildlife.org.
9/25-26 -- Meeting, Oral History Association, Royal Sonesta Hotel, New
Orleans, LA. Contact: Call 817-755-2764, or send e-mail to
OHA_Support@Baylor.edu. [Diane Vogt O'Connor, DCA/WASO]
9/25-29 -- Second World Congress, International Ranger Federation, San Jose,
Costa Rica. Registration is $600 per person for double occupancy
and $850 for single occupancy in a four-star hotel; the fee
includes six nights' lodging, all meals and tips, transportation
to and from the airport, and transportation for the field trips
to several nearby Costa Rican national parks. Congress
organizers are asking that those planning to attend register in
advance - even with a partial payment. Payment can be made by
VISA or Master Card. Contact: Lyn Rothgeb, Congress registrar,
730 East Main Street, Luray, VA 22835; 540-743-1775 (fax and
phone). [Bill Wade]
10/1-4 -- Annual Meeting, American Association for State and Local History,
Denver, CO. The meeting will be held in conjunction with the
Colorado-Wyoming Museums Association and will cover many aspects
of public history and interpretation. NPS speakers will be
featured. Contact: American Association for State and Local
History, 530 Church Street, Suite 600, Nashville, TN 37219-2325.
[Bill Gwaltney, FOLA]
10/2-4* -- "The Meaning of Museums: Will the Millennium Modify Our
Definitions?", Annual Meeting, Mountain-Plains Museum
Association, Missoula, MT. This year's session will focus on the
stated theme and on involving museums in the community. Contact:
MPMA coordinator, Jan Postler, PO Box 8321, Durango, CO 81301-
0203, 970-259-7866, or program chair Sue Near, Montana Historical
Society, 406-444-4710. [Matt Wilson, Curator, RMSO]
12/4-6* -- Reunion, Everglades 50th Anniversary Celebration, Everglades NP,
FL. A reunion is planned for this weekend during the anniversary
celebration. It will culminate with the dedication ceremony at
Everglades City on December 6th. Special activities will be held
for former employees. Contact: Sandy Dayhoff or Laura Cowan via
cc:Mail at NP-EVER. [Pat Tolle]
* * * * *
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
pertaining to receipt of 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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