NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                               MORNING REPORT

To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Friday, August 21, 1998

INCIDENTS

98-506 - Lake Mead NRA (AZ/NV) - Update on Heat Exposure Fatality

On August 13th, criminal investigator Mike Blandford checked out a report of
a four-wheel-drive vehicle stuck up to its axles in a dry wash about eight-
tenths of a mile from Northshore Road.  He found the body of the driver and
sole occupant, D.R., 36, who had been there for several days and
evidently died from dehydration.  Investigation revealed that she apparently
became stuck in the wash late on the afternoon of Monday, August 10th, and
decided to stay with the car rather than walk to the well-traveled Northshore
Road.  D.R.'s father reported that his daughter had been under treatment by
her doctor for recent excessive weight loss and dehydration.  She could walk
with the help of a brace on her right leg, but tired very quickly.  It's not
known why she drove away from the lake and up into the wash, an area that is
only infrequently visited in summer months.  Afternoon temperatures hovered
around 115 degrees on the day she became stuck.  [Mike Blandford, CI, LAME,
8/20]

98-524 - Grand Canyon (AZ) - Rescue

J.S., 26, a New Zealand national, was taking photographs at Mather
Point on the evening of August 17th when she fell about 50 feet from the
canyon rim.  She was knocked unconscious and suffered head and facial
injuries.  J.S. was treated at the site, evacuated via a technical litter
raising, then flown to a hospital in Flagstaff.  She remains hospitalized
there with an apparent severe concussion.  [David Brennan, DR, South Rim,
GRCA, 8/20]

98-525 - Glacier NP (MT) - Rescue

E.V.R., a 32-year-old resident of Manhattan, New York, sustained
severe injuries after he slipped and fell in an unnamed waterfall near the
Red Gap Pass trail around noon on August 14th.  E.V.R. was hiking with his
fiancee and another couple when he stopped to filter water from the stream. 
He slipped and fell 40 vertical feet down the waterfall.  E.V.R. lost
consciousness, but regained it after a few minutes.  The others in his party
got him to safety and put him in sleeping bags to keep him warm.  A hiker who
was not with the party hiked to the Belly River ranger station; nobody was
there, so he left a note explaining what had happened.  The ranger at Belly
River, who was on patrol at the time, found the note at 6 p.m. and reported
the incident.  A private helicopter transported a rescue team from Many
Glacier to within a 30-minute hike of the accident scene.  The team reached
E.V.R. at 7:40 p.m. and provided medical aid.  Because E.V.R. was in a ravine
where a helicopter could not land, a call went out to wardens at Waterton
Lakes NP in Canada, who are equipped to perform short-haul rescues by
helicopter.  E.V.R. was lifted out, transferred to another helicopter, then
flown to a regional hospital where he was treated for a fractured skull and
fractured, dislocated hip.  On July 15th, B.D.-N. of Seattle was
killed after slipping and falling into the same waterfall about 150 yards
above the site where E.V.R. fell (98-401).  B.D.-N. was also at the
edge of the stream collecting water.  [Amy Vanderbilt, PIO, GLAC, 8/21]

         [Numerous reports pending, will appear as time permits...]

FIRE ACTIVITY

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II

LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY 

                                                     Wed      Thu    %  Est
State      Unit             Fire/Incident     IMT    8/19     8/20  Con Con

WA   Wenatchee NF           North 25          --    7,870    7,910   80 11/15
 
OR   Deschutes NF         * Square Lake       --        -      150   15 NEC
     Burns District       * Blitzen           --        -    1,500  100 CND

ID   Salmon-Challis NF      Main Salmon Cx    --    7,722    7,747    0 10/15
                            Jackass           --      795      845    0 10/15
                            North Fork Cx     T1    1,720    2,028   30 8/26
     Boise NF               Loopsem Creek     T1      133      133  100 CND 
     Fort Hall Agency     * Spring            --        -    2,200   75 8/20
                          * Starlight         --        -      135  100 CND

MT   Bitterroot NF          West Fork Fires   --      750      750    0 NEC

UT   State                  Muddy Canyon      --    2,950    3,350  100 CND

TX   State                * Custom            --        -      320  100 CND
                   
                                  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 I; T2 = Type II; ST = State Team
% Con       Percent of fire contained; UNK = unknown
Est Con     Estimated containment date; NEC = no estimated date of
            containment; CND = fully contained; NR = no report

NUMBER OF NEW FIRES (FOUR DAY TREND) 

                    NPS    BIA      BLM     FWS    States   USFS     Total

Monday, 8/17         4      7        17       0      162     51       241
Tuesday, 8/18        0      5        19       0       68     27       119
Wednesday, 8/19      2      6         7       0      103     39       157
Thursday, 8/20       1      7        11       1       61     94       175

TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FOUR DAY TREND) 

                  Crews     Engines    Helicopters    Airtankers   Overhead

Monday, 8/17       101        354          67             8           671
Tuesday, 8/18       67        253          63             9           502
Wednesday, 8/19     66        250          75            21           621
Thursday, 8/20      76        270          74             6           569

CURRENT SITUATION

Initial attack increased again yesterday due to lightning, but new starts
were quickly contained. 

Very high and extreme fire indices were reported yesterday in Texas,
Minnesota, Michigan, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, California and
Arizona.

No fire watches or warnings have been posted for today.

Long range fire assessment reports are now available on the internet at
www.nifc.doi.gov/fire_assessment/index.html

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 8/21]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION

Glacier NP (MT) - Food-Conditioned Bear Destroyed

An adult female black bear was destroyed on the evening of August 19th after
it charged several park visitors in the Two Medicine area and demonstrated
food-conditioned behavior.  Two weeks ago, the same bear encountered a group
of people on the North Shore trail.  They climbed a tree to get away from the
bear, and later reported the incident to a ranger.  When the ranger arrived
in the area to haze the bear, it came within two feet before he sprayed it. 
The bear turned, walked away a short distance, then turned and approached the
ranger again.  After being sprayed once more, it walked off the trail, sat
down and watched the ranger.  On August 7th, the bear encountered a group of
four visitors near Upper Two Medicine Lake.  Two of them got into a fetal
position; the bear sniffed them, then walked away.  On August 11th, the bear
bluff charged two people who were eating lunch in the same area.  They
captured the incident on video.  The video and other evidence confirmed that
the bear was conditioned to food and a danger to visitors, so the animal was
put down.  [Amy Vanderbilt, PIO, GLAC]

PARK DISPATCHES

Kudos to Rangers - Although the Morning Report is justly known for having an
overabundance of mayhem of all kinds, it also carries many reports of
rescues, which come in all forms from the routine to the heroic.  Not all
victims are as cavalier as the gentlemen at Haleakala noted earlier this week
who demanded a rescue, then walked out of the ER when he found he had to
actually pay for medical treatment.  Most are grateful, and, now and then,
one writes back to thank his or her rescuers and recognize them for their
efforts.  Such is the case with Gale Long, the BLM employee from Casper,
Wyoming, who fell 120 feet while descending the Lake Ledges route on
Disappointment Peak in Grand Teton NP in July (98-417) and was rescued by a
team of rangers.  Here's the text of his letter to the park: "The purpose of
this letter is to thank you and the rangers involved with all of the warmth I
can summon.  From beginning to end, I and everyone else at the scene was
impressed by the professionalism, courage and quiet competence demonstrated
by your rangers.  Others who operated behind the scenes to facilitate the
efforts of those on the ground acted with equal professionalism.  Although
the accident was entirely due to misjudgment on my part, and mine alone, none
of the rangers in any way attempted to place blame or judgment upon me,
richly deserving though I was. I wish to name each of the people involved.  I
will never forget them. Whenever I am in or near the mountains, I will think
of them, preferably not in the context of another rescue - Mark Magnusen,
Bill Culbreath, Bill Alexander, Rich Perch, Janet Wilts, Renny Jackson, Ron
Johnson, Jim Springer, Leo Larson, Helen Larson, Jack McConnell, Andy
Byerly."  Good work, guys.  ["Intermountain Morning Line," 8/20]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No entries.

MEMORANDA

"Reminder of Dual Entry of All Time and Attendance Records," signed August
14th by the acting human resources program manager and sent to timekeepers
and certifies in all parks and offices.  The text follows:

"[The] NPS will be parallel testing our new payroll and personnel system
(FPPS) during pay periods 18 (August 16 _ 29) and 19 (August 30 _ September
12).  This means that all time and attendance records (T&As) should be
entered into both the SF52 system (PAY/PERS) and the new FPPS system.  This
requirement is for ALL OFFICES and PARKS currently entering T&As.

"Pay Period 9818 (August 16 _ 29) - Initiate, certify, and release T&As in
SF52 system (option S on the main menu); release by August 31st or earlier.
After completing T&As in SF52 system, enter the same T&As in the new FPPS
system parallel database (option L on the main menu).  DO NOT begin this
entry until August 24th; release by August 31st or earlier.

"Pay Period 9819 (August 30 _ September 12)  - Repeat the double entry
procedures for pay period 19; use the SF-52 system (option S on the main
menu) and then the FPPS system (option L on the main menu) as in the previous
pay period.  Release both sets of T&As by September 14th or earlier. 

"Both sets of T&As will have to be certified twice, once in the SF52 system
(option S on the main menu) and once in the FPPS system (option L on the main
menu).

"For pay period 9820 (beginning September 13), we will go back to using the
SF52 system ONLY.  The new FPPS system will not be used again until pay
period 9824.  Our testing during these two pay periods will facilitate a
smooth transition to the new payroll and personnel system.  We appreciate
your cooperation.  Questions about parallel testing and dual entry of T&As
should be directed to your Servicing Personnel Office."

INTERCHANGE

No entries.

                                *  *  *  *  *

Distribution of the Morning Report is through a mailing list managed by park,
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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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