NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                               MORNING REPORT

To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Friday, May 7, 1999

INCIDENTS

99-156 - Glacier Bay NP&P (AK) - Follow-up: Search for Plane, Park Employee

The search for NPS seasonal employee S.C., 34, and pilot D.M.,
51, reported overdue from a flight from Haines to Juneau in a small
plane on May 2nd, is being suspended.  The Coast Guard and Alaska state
troopers decided to suspend the search following several days of intensive
air, water and ground search efforts.  The missing Piper Comanche aircraft
was last seen and reported over Berners Bay in Lynn Canal, flying in a snow
squall.  It is likely that the aircraft went down _ either on nearby land or
in the water _ shortly after the pilot's last radio transmission, since a
return call from another aircraft a few minutes later went unanswered. 
Search aircraft from numerous agencies and volunteers logged over 75 flight
hours between Sunday and Wednesday, covering all coastal areas from Juneau to
Haines.  Repeated aerial searches by both helicopters and fixed wing aircraft
were conducted in high probability areas near the point last seen.  Coast
Guard rescue boats and a NOAA mapping ship participated in water and
shoreline searches, some employing sidescan sonar.  Up to 16 people,
including S.C. and D.M. family members and park staff, searched
shorelines and forested ridges in the primary search area each day this week.
Mountainous and difficult terrain, heavy forest cover and undergrowth, and
deep snow in some areas likely affected searchers' ability to locate the
missing aircraft.  Although a limited ground effort will continue tomorrow,
most search activities have been suspended pending additional information. 
Area pilots, vessel operators and recreationalists are well aware of the
missing aircraft and will continue to look.  The primary search area is
located at the northern extreme of the Juneau road system and is a popular
destination for area residents.  [Randy King, CR, GLBA, 5/6]

99-164 - Death Valley NP (CA) - Truck Fire

On the evening of May 5th, a patrol ranger spotted a runaway truck and
trailer (gross weight, 55,000 pounds) heading down highway 190 into the park. 
The truck had lost its brakes shortly after crossing a pass at 4,900 feet; as
it went by the ranger, who was parked at Emigrant Station, its estimated
speed was in excess of 80 mph and it was burning underneath and trailing
smoke.  Since Stovepipe Wells was nine miles ahead (all downhill) and the
area contains campgrounds, a store, gas stations, a housing area, and a
restaurant and motel, the ranger made a radio broadcast in the blind hoping
to warn anyone close to a radio.  He attempted to stay with the truck, but
was left behind when the truck's speed passed 90 mph.  The truck barely
missed a loaded school bus on its downhill run.  As the truck approached sea
level and lost grade, the driver was able to regain power to his brakes and
transmission, allowing him to bring his now flaming rig to a stop in the
middle of the road a mile west of Stovepipe Wells.  The two right rear tires
and axle grease were on fire; although flames were lapping onto the trailer,
which was loaded with railroad ties, they hadn't yet reached the truck's fuel
tanks.  The ranger was joined by another patrol ranger and a third ranger
driving one of the park's wildland fire engines.  The ranger with the engine
put on his structural fire gear, charged his engine and line, and determined
that he'd try one quick hit on the fire, then retreat if that didn't work. 
The other two rangers did not have turnout gear available, so were not able
to help; the nearest structural fire engine was 40 miles away at Cow Creek
and unable to respond when called due to staffing problems.  The ranger
successfully knocked the fire down.  At the ranger's direction, the driver
disconnected the trailer and pulled away - with the tires still on fire - so
that the truck's fuel would not be added to the fire.  The ranger ran out of
water, drove the engine back to Stovepipe, loaded another 200 gallons of
water, and returned to the scene to keep the fire from reigniting.  Rangers
then assisted California Highway Patrol officers in the investigation.  No
one was hurt or injured; an estimated $150,000 in property was saved.  [CRO,
DEVA, 5/6]

99-165 - Lake Mead NRA (AZ/NV) - Boat Fire

The Mohave County emergency dispatch center received a report of a boat fire
in Katherine Harbor at 4:45 a.m. on May 5th.  The Katherine fire brigade
responded with one engine, Bullhead City provided two engines and an
ambulance, and Lake Mohave Resort dispatched a fire boat.  They found two
boats fully engulfed in fire and a number of others threatened by the flames. 
The fire boat, floating fire pumps, and hand lines from on-shore engines were
used to fight the fire.  Four vessels were cut loose so that they could drift
away from the blaze.  Three other vessels and the marina's walkway were
slightly damaged.  There were no injuries and environmental damage was
limited to a small amount of floating debris.  The arson investigator from
Bullhead City and the criminal investigator from the park's Mohave District
are cooperating in the investigation.  Preliminary indications are that the
fire may be suspicious in nature.  [Ralph Patterson, LAME, 5/5]

FIRE ACTIVITY

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II

LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY 

                                                      Tue      Wed   %   Est
State      Unit              Fire/Incident   IMT      5/4      5/5  Con  Con

VA   Shenandoah NP           Shop Run         T1    2,700    3,211   75  5/6

FL   State                   Bardin           --      450      450  100  5/5
                           * New Grade        --        -      450   70  --

GA   Okefenokee NWR          Hickory Island   --   14,128   14,128   30  -- 

MI   State                   Tower Lake       --    7,000    6,000   25  -- 

MN   State                   Andover          --    1,200      636  100  5/5

NM   Cibola NF               Roberts          --      115      115   25  5/7

                                  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; LSS =
            limited suppression strategy; CSS = containment suppression
            strategy
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; LPS = limited
            protection status

FIRE NARRATIVES

Shenandoah NP - The estimated size of the fire as of Wednesday evening was
3,211 acres, up from 3,000 acres the day before.  Most of the increase came
from planned burnout operations.  There was also a spot fire a quarter mile
outside the lines which was contained at 40 acres.  The fire is burning
entirely on park land; there are no immediate threats to structures or
private property.  Containment was anticipated by last night.  Resources on
the fire include a Type I incident management team, 350 firefighters from
eight states, four helicopters with water buckets, a heli-tanker, and two
fixed-wing air tankers.  At the time of the report, there were several
closures in effect as a result of the fire - the southern section of Skyline
Drive (from the entrance off I-64 to U.S. 33), a section of the Appalachian
Trail (Blackrock Gap to Turk Gap), and three trails (the north fork of the
Moormans River trail, the Riprap trail, and the Wildcat Ridge trail).

NUMBER OF NEW FIRES (FOUR DAY TREND)

                    NPS    BIA      BLM     FWS    States   USFS     Total

Sunday, 5/2          1      2         0       0       59      9        71
Monday, 5/3          2     87         1       0      155     12       257
Tuesday, 5/4         3     18         0       0      174     16       211
Wednesday, 5/5       0      2         0       0      108      7       117

TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FOUR DAY TREND) 

                  Crews     Engines    Helicopters    Airtankers   Overhead

Sunday, 5/2         15         30          11             3           165
Monday, 5/3         27         66          14             0           212
Tuesday, 5/4        51         67          19             0           317
Wednesday, 5/5      53         66          18            10           375

CURRENT SITUATION

Large fires continued in the East and South on Wednesday.  There was also
some initial attack in the Southwest and southern California.  Fire activity
is expected to continue in Canada, the upper Great Lakes, New England,
Florida and the Southwest.

Very high and extreme fire indices were reported in New Mexico, Texas,
Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Minnesota, Michigan, Maine, and Wisconsin. 
[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 5/6; Shop Run Fire IO, 5/6]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION

No entries.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No entries.

MEMORANDA

No entries.

INTERCHANGE

No entries.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Salinas Pueblos Missions NM - On August 10, 1998, ranger Bob Healy was
seriously injured in a head-on motor vehicle accident while off duty (98-
535).  He's still recovering and will likely not be able to work for another
three to four months.  Bob has exhausted all his sick leave and annual leave
and has been approved for the leave share program.  If you'd like to donate
leave, contact your personnel office and complete an OF-630A, then fax or
mail the form to the personnel office at Salinas Pueblo Missions NM - either
505-847-2441 or PO Box 517, Mountainair, NM 87036.  [Jim Boll, CR]

                                *  *  *  *  *

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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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