NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                               MORNING REPORT

To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Wednesday, September 9, 1998

INCIDENTS


98-571 - Metro New York City Areas - Severe Storm Impacts

A series of severe storms which moved through the New York area on Labor Day
had significant impacts on area parks:

o     Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island NM - The storms brought heavy rains,
      golf-ball sized hail, winds gusting up to 80 mph and severe lightning,
      with several strikes hitting the islands.  Four tornadoes struck areas
      surrounding the park.  Visitor ferries and park vessels suspended
      operations and the park was closed.  All 5,000 visitors and staff were
      moved into buildings to reduce the chance of injury.  During a break
      betweens storms, both island were evacuated.  Visibility dropped to 20
      feet at times.  Damage consisted of some broken tree limbs and minor
      flooding.

o     Gateway NRA - The Coast Guard rescued at least a half-dozen boaters
      were cast ashore in the Sandy Hook Unit.  The storm caused electrical
      outages in the Staten Island Unit which were not repaired until 3 a.m.
      the following morning.  Downed trees and limbs were reported in all
      areas.  A full damage assessment is underway.

[Scott Pfeninger, CR, STLI, 9/7; Jose Rosario, GATE, 9/8]

98-572 - Lake Mead NRA (AZ/NV) - Rescue

Park dispatch was notified of an climbing accident at St. James Bay on the
morning of September 5th.  B.B., 20, from the El Toro Marine Corps
Air Station, was attempting to climb up a steep, unstable cliff to make a
dive into the lake when he dislodged a two-foot diameter rock; the rock fell
on his left foot, lacerating it to the bone.  EMS volunteer Renee Johnson
responded on a private boat.  She found that she couldn't reach B.B. and
advised that the park's SAR team was needed.  Rangers Randy Neal, Robert
Moelder and Paul Crawford responded.  A suitable anchor system was
constructed despite unstable terrain.  Molder rappelled from a point 20 feet
above B.B., then lowered him another 30 feet to the bow of a patrol
boat.  B.B. was taken by boat to Calville Bay, then airlifted to a
trauma center in Las Vegas.  Northshore district ranger Steve Drolet was IC. 
[Paul Crawford, SPR, Boulder Basin District, LAME, 9/8]

98-573 - Martin Luther King, Jr. NHS (GA) - Special Event

The city of Atlanta was one of several cities which hosted the "Million Youth
Movement" during the Labor Day weekend.  The park was the staging area for
most activities.  A march and rally was held adjacent to the visitor center
on Labor Day.  Rev. Jesse Jackson, NAACP executive director Kweisi Mfume,
Souther Christian Leadership president Martin Luther King III and reverend Al
Sharpton were among the speakers.  The park provided a meeting room for a
mini-workshop and press conference, and rangers assisted city police with
traffic control and a few heat-related medical emergencies.  The crowd was
estimated at about 5,000 people.  [Clark Moore, CR, MALU, 9/7]

98-574 - Buffalo NR (AR) - Marijuana Eradication

During the first three days of September, rangers conducted flights over the
park, searching for marijuana patches.  They found 93 plants on private
property immediately adjacent to the park's upper district and helped local
deputies seize the plants.  Evidence of a methamphetamine lab was also found
at that location.  Another 29 plants were found growing on a bluff along the
river in the middle district; these were destroyed.  A small patch was found
on private property adjacent to the middle district and placed under
surveillance.  Deputies from surrounding counties and state wildlife officers
assisted rangers in this operation.  The value of the plants destroyed has
ben placed at $121,000.  [Bob Howard, LES, BUFF, 9/8]

                       [Additional reports pending...]

FIRE ACTIVITY

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level III

LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY 

                                                     Thu      Tue    %  Est
State      Unit             Fire/Incident     IMT    9/3      9/8   Con Con

MT   Glacier NP           * Kootenai Cx       FUT       -    9,662    0 NEC
     Bitterroot NF          West Fork Fires   FUT   3,544    8,937    0 NEC
                            Bitterroot Cx     T1    1,260    4,090   85 9/10
     Flathead NF            Challenge         T1    6,200    9,000   35 9/14
                          * Bowl              T2        -    3,000   65 9/11
                          * Bob Marshall Cx   --        -      791   NR NR
     Kootenai NF            Dome              T1    1,070    3,340   60 9/10
                            Kopsi Creek       T2    2,024    1,060   30 9/13
     Lolo NF                Boulder Lake      T2       40      220   95 9/9
                            Gilbert Creek     T2    1,000    1,760   90 9/9
     State                  Bradshaw          --   13,000   14,700  100 CND
                            Boyer             T2    1,200    6,500   80 9/10

ID   Nez Perce NF           Moose Cx          FUT   1,427    6,766    0 NEC
                          * Spruce            --        -      530    0 NEC
     Salmon-Challis NF      Main Salmon Cx    FUT  15,045   21,610    0 10/15
     Idaho Falls District * Pocatello Valley  --        -    6,500  100 CND

OR   Vale District        * Lowe Creek        --        -    1,300  100 CND

WA   State                * Dalles Mt. Rd.    --        -      800   NR NR

TX   State                * Turtle Hole       --        -    2,800   70 9/9
                          * Cement            --        -      150   80 9/9
                          * Ward              --        -      300   80 9/9
                          * Hill              --        -      100   35 9/10
                          * Potosi            --        -       75   30 9/10
                          * Midget            --        -      150   30 9/10

VA   State                * Rustburg          --        -      200  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; FUT = Interagency
            Fire Use Management 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

Saturday, 9/5        1      2         0       0      127     37       165
Sunday, 9/6          3      2         8       0       97     59       169
Monday, 9/7          3      4        18       0      115     95       235
Tuesday, 9/8         1      1         4       0      161     51       218

TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FOUR DAY TREND) 

                  Crews     Engines    Helicopters    Airtankers   Overhead

Saturday, 9/5      309        436         109             4         1,804
Sunday, 9/6        255        413         110             6         1,720
Monday, 9/7        290        347         111            11         1,690
Tuesday, 9/8       175        283          83             4         1,708

CURRENT SITUATION

Fire activity continued yesterday in the northern Rockies and the South.

Very high and extreme fire indices were reported yesterday in Texas, New
Mexico, Utah, California, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska.

No fire watches or warnings have been posted for today.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 9/5-9]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION

No entries.

PARK DISPATCHES

No entries.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No entries.

MEMORANDA

No entries.

INTERCHANGE

No entries.

                                *  *  *  *  *

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

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