NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                               MORNING REPORT
     
To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices
     
From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
     
Day/Date:   Thursday, June 24, 1999
     
INCIDENTS
     
98-590 - Yellowstone NP (WY) - Follow-up: MVA with Fatalities
     
A fatal motor vehicle accident occurred near West Thumb junction on the 
afternoon of September 9, 1998.  A Dodge pickup driven by R.I., 
30, of Downingtown, Pennsylvania, crossed the center line and struck a 
Lincoln Continental head-on.  F.H., 75 of Pardeeville, Wisconsin, 
was killed, and H.C., 60, also of Pardeeville, was seriously injured. 
H.C. died of his injuries several weeks after the accident.  R.I. was 
charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter after the investigation 
revealed that he'd been under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs at the 
time of the accident.  R.I. and his attorney changed his plea to guilty 
days before his trial was to begin this past March.  On June 12th, the 
district judge sentenced R.I. to twelve months and a day in prison on 
each charge, to be served concurrently.  Upon release from prison, he will be 
subject to supervised probation for three years.  R.I. has also been 
ordered to pay almost $205,000 in restitution.  [Chris Hansen, CI, YELL, 
6/22]
     
99-295 - Mount Rainier NP (WA) - Search in Progress
     
A search is underway for a snowboarder who's been missing since the afternoon 
of Sunday, June 20th.  W.T., 28, of Seattle was last seen 
descending alone on a snowboard at 10,000 feet in white-out conditions at 
5:30 p.m.  He was reported missing by his father at 11:30 p.m. on Monday. 
Three NPS hasty teams were deployed the following morning, but poor 
visibility and fresh snowfall between Paradise and Camp Muir has made 
tracking and searching for clues difficult.  Eight teams continued the search 
for W.T. yesterday.  Light rain and snow, fog and very low visibility are 
impeding operations.  A helicopter will be utilized when weather permits. 
Steve Winslow is IC.  [Linda Birkett, MORA, 6/23]
     
99-296 - Crater Lake NP (OR) - Search
     
Two park employees became lost while attempting to ski and snowboard a 
popular but unmarked route (the "Horse Trail") from the rim of Crater Lake to 
the Sleepy Hollow residence area on the afternoon of June 22nd.  Rangers were 
alerted when the travelers had not returned home by approximately 10:30 p.m. 
A search team located the pair at about 4 a.m. on the southeast slopes of 
Munson Ridge, approximately two miles from the starting point.  Searchers 
were able to follow a well-defined trail for approximately five miles across 
the significant snowpack remaining in the park's backcountry. The couple 
spent much of the night sharing lightweight clothing and huddled in the snow 
well of a tree.  They were cold, tired and dehydrated but otherwise in good 
condition.  Search urgency was heightened by reports that one of the 
individuals may have had a pressing medical condition. This turned out to be 
untrue.  [Dan Jacobs, DR, CRLA, 6/23] 
     
99-297 - Death Valley NP (CA) - Structural Fire; Arson Suspected
     
A suspected arson fire destroyed the main ranch house at the historic Meyer 
Ranch, a 40-acre inholding within the park, sometime in early June.  On June 
13th, visitors to the ranch reported to park rangers that they had found the 
main structure burned down.  Investigators found signs of recent footprints 
and tire tracks.  Rangers and local law enforcement officials are continuing 
the investigation.  The fire from the house burned up a spring drainage and 
extended approximately a quarter acre onto park lands.  The stone cabin
was built in the 1930's as part of a "recreational ranching" endeavor by the 
Meyers family, who inherited the property from the Lotus Mine claim.  The area 
gained some notoriety in the late 1960's, as the adjacent Barker Ranch was the 
site where Charles Manson family members lived and were subsequently arrested.  
[Tim Stone, MA, DEVA, 6/22]
     
99-298 - Little River Canyon NP (AL) - Drowning
     
J.B. of Lafayette, Georgia, was swimming with friends in the park on 
June 20th.  J.B. went off to swim in a separate pool.  After about 30 
minutes, his friends became concerned and went to find him.  J.B. was found 
submerged in an eight-foot-deep pool of water.  His friends pulled him from 
the water; some began efforts to resuscitate him, others went for help.  When 
rangers Jon Newman and Mat Huelskamp arrived with other rescuers, they 
continued CPR, but without success.  J.B.'s body was brought to the rim of 
the canyon via a low-angle rope recovery system.  [Dwight Dixon, CR, LIRI, 
6/22]
     
99-299 - Great Smoky Mountains NP (TN/NC) - Drug Arrests
     
Ranger Lamon Brown discovered an unoccupied illegal camp in the Lake District 
on June 19th.  Brown found marijuana paraphernalia and a book on how to grow 
marijuana in the camp, and began surveillance of the area with a North 
Carolina wildlife officer.  Three men returned to the camp late in the day. 
Although they had a number of plastic growing pots and a GPS unit in their 
possession, they denied any involvement in marijuana cultivation.  They were 
arrested for simple possession and camping violations.  Their GPS unit was 
employed to find eleven marijuana plants in five separate gardens.  Also 
seized was a shotgun without a serial number, marijuana seeds, growing 
lights, scales and many other related items.  The three men, all from 
Lakewood, Colorado, are being held without bond and will be indicted next 
month.  [John Mattox, CI, GRSM, 6/23]
     
FIRE ACTIVITY
     
NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II
     
LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY 
     
                                                      Mon     Tue    %   Est
State      Unit              Fire/Incident   IMT      6/21    6/22  Con  Con
     
AZ    Saguaro NM             Box Canyon      FUM       650   2,000   NR  7/10
      Coronado NF            Mexico 15        --       750     750   95  6/25 
      Prescott NF          * Reamer           --         -     600    0  6/30
     
CA    Los Padres NF        * King             T2         -     600   40  UNK
      Tehama-Glenn RU      * Red              --         -   2,500   10  NR
     
AK    Upper Yukon, BLM       Minto            T2     3,800   3,800  100  CND 
     
UT    State                * Champlin Point   --         -     600  100  CND
     
                                  Heading Notes
     
Unit        Agency = BIA area; NF = national forest; RU = CA state resource
            or ranger unit; RD = state ranger district; FO = BLM field 
            office; 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; FUM = Fire Use
            Management Team
% Con       Percent of fire contained; UNK = unknown; NR = no report 
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, 6/19       0     19         5       0       42     30        96 
Sunday, 6/20         2     15         9       1       47     29       103 
Monday, 6/21         5     14        31       3       85     59       197 
Tuesday, 6/22        0      3        23       0       66     35       127
     
TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FOUR DAY TREND) 
     
                  Crews     Engines    Helicopters    Airtankers   Overhead
     
Saturday, 6/19      58        116          21             5           470 
Sunday, 6/20        61        114          22             3           345 
Monday, 6/21        51        142          24             0           356 
Tuesday, 6/22       81        219          34            15           388
     
CURRENT SITUATION
     
Large fires continued to burn on Tuesday in Alaska and the Southwest; new 
large fires were reported in California and the eastern Great Basin. 
Moderate initial attack was reported in California and the eastern Great 
Basin, Southwest and Rockies.
     
Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and 
California.
     
[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 6/23]
     
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION
     
No entries.
     
OPERATIONAL NOTES
     
No entries.
     
MEMORANDA
     
No entries.
     
INTERCHANGE
     
Biscayne NP - Ranger David Pharo is assisting the Florida Marine Patrol in 
gathering information on regulations pertaining to swimming and diving 
activities.  They are particularly concerned with proper display of dive 
flags and distances to be maintained by divers to the flag and other vessel 
traffic.  Any information that you could provide, particularly on state 
regulations, would be appreciated.  Please fax current state regulations or 
other pertinent information to him at 305-230-0013.  If you have any 
questions, you can reach him via cc:Mail or at 305-230-1144 ext. 3075.
     
PARKS AND PEOPLE
     
No entries.
     
                                *  *  *  *  *
     
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.
     
                                 --- ### ---