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Subject: NPS Morning Report - Monday, August 23, 1999
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Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 09:51:26 -0400
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Monday, August 23, 1999
INCIDENTS
99-499 - Padre Island NS (TX) - Hurricane Bret
The park was closed on the afternoon of Saturday, August 21st, due to the
impending arrival of Hurricane Bret. Storm surge was expected to completely
flood all beaches and possibly reach some or all visitor facilities. All
visitors were evacuated from the beaches and campgrounds, and all facilities
were shut down and boarded up. An incident command post was established at
the island operations center. Only the minimum number of people needed to
provide emergency services and secure buildings and property remained on
duty. [Gus Martinez, PAIS, 8/21]
99-500 - Glen Canyon NRA (AZ/UT) - Larceny
Ranger Jared St. Clair began an investigation on August 4th into the reported
theft of numerous license plates from the parking lot at Wahweap Lodge.
Investigation revealed that a group of French nationals on a commercial tour
had 188 stolen plates in their possession. Some had been stolen in Moab,
Utah. Fifteen members of the group were issued citations for a total of
$3,400 in fines, all paid in cash. The tour company's name is UFOVAL,
Federation Des Deuvres; they operate out of Delaplaine, France. Consulate
authorities were notified of the incident. The consulate requested and
received passport identifications of those who were involved. [David
Sandbakken, LES, GLCA, 8/20]
99-501 - Grand Canyon NP (AZ) - ARPA Convictions
Wilderness District rangers Patrick Flanagan and Patrick Brasington,
archeologists Steve and Linda Moffitt, and Tuweep ranger Claire Roberts made
an extended resource management monitoring trip into a major drainage on the
north side of the canyon last January. On the night of January 9th, they
spotted an illegal campfire in the distance. While investigating it the
following morning, Flanagan and Brasington saw and contacted two people who
were collecting archeological artifacts. They also learned that there were
three other people with the group and that they were hiking on a different
route. Roberts hiked out, drove to the other trailhead, found and contacted
the trio, and determined that they'd committed violations as well. A
thorough and involved five-month-long investigation ensured. An NPS criminal
investigator provided guidance; assisting were a representative from a
special NPS ARPA task force and another from the U.S. Attorney's Office. NPS
staff from many areas contributed to development of the case against the
five. AUSA Camille Bibles put together the prosecution, which led to the
first ever ARPA convictions at the park. Convictions were as follows:
o J.C. - Possession/removal of archeological resources (16
USC 470 - ARPA), possession/removal of objects of antiquity (16 USC
470 - Antiquities Act), theft of public property (18 USC 641), failure
to obtain backcountry permit (36 CFR 1.6), maintaining a ground fire
(36 CFR 2.13), and preservation of natural, cultural and archeological
resources (36 CFR 2.1). He was ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution
and banned from the park for three years.
o B.G. - Same charges, plus interfering with agency
functions/false information (36 CFR 2.32). Same penalties.
o B.H. - Possession/removal of archeological resources (16 USC
470), failure to obtain backcountry permit (36 CFR 1.6).
o S.R. - Failure to obtain backcountry permit (36 CFR 1.6).
o D.R. - Failure to obtain backcountry permit (36 CFR 1.6).
[Nick Herring, DR, Wilderness District, GRCA, 8/17]
99-502 - Glen Canyon NRA (AZ/UT) - Falling Fatality
J,S., 19, a German national, was camping with his girlfriend's family
near the Dirty Devil River in the Hite Subdistrict on August 16th. At 8
p.m., J.S. said that he was going on a hike to photograph the area. He
failed to return. The park was notified and a search was begun at 10 p.m.
It was suspended at 1:30 a.m., then resumed the next day. Ranger Phil Akers
boarded a helicopter and located J.S.'s body at the base of a 50-foot
overhang. Grand Canyon NP's helicopter was employed to extract the body.
Investigators determined that J.S. was attempting a night descent down a
hazardous chute when he slipped off the overhang. The incident was
investigated by rangers and Garfield County officers. Ranger Aaron Kania was
IC. [CRO, GLCA, 8/20]
99-503 - Organ Pipe Cactus NM (AZ) - Drug Arrest, Seizure
Rangers from the park and from Saguaro NP stopped a vehicle on Highway 85 on
the morning of August 11th, seized 157 pounds of marijuana from the vehicle's
trunk, and arrested the driver. The driver was arrested last year for
smuggling marijuana in a concealed vehicle compartment at the Lukeville port
of entry. The U.S. Attorney's Office is prosecuting the case with assistance
from rangers and Customs officers. This was the second seizure in two days
during the same special operation. [Karl Pearson, Acting CR, ORPI, 7/24]
99-504 - Shenandoah NP (VA) - MVA with Fatality
A fatal accident occurred on Skyline Drive just before 10 p.m. on August
15th. An as-yet unidentified woman was traveling north on the drive when her
car went off the road, struck a sign and two trees, and came to rest 300 feet
from the road. The car was consumed by fire. Warren County Fire Department
responded and extinguished the blaze. The body was taken to the state
medical examiner's office for autopsy and identification. DNA tests will be
used for identification. The cause of the accident has not yet been
determined, but speed may have been a factor. [Rick Childs, SHEN, 8/20]
FIRE ACTIVITY
NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II
LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY
Wed Sat % Est
State Unit Fire/Incident IMT 8/18 8/21 Con Con
CA Yosemite NP Leconte -- 650 800 0 LR
* Lost Bear -- - 167 0 LR
* Eleanor -- - 175 0 LR
Stanislaus NF Carmoke FUM 262 443 0 UNK
Lassen-Modoc RU Cinder ST 600 550 100 CND
San Diego RU * Campo -- - 1,150 40 8/23
Cleveland NF * Ososco -- - 200 30 8/23
AZ Arizona Strip FO Lime Hills -- 800 1,375 100 CND
OR Vale District Gallagher -- 300 300 100 CND
Burns District * Stonehouse -- - 4,187 40 8/22
WA State * Lemansky Pine -- - 350 100 CND
NV State Mitchell Creek -- 2,000 3,000 100 CND
* Welches Creek -- - 13,184 100 CND
Winnemucca FO 290 Junction -- 700 1,344 100 NR
* Dido Cx T2 - 15,000 66 8/23
* Virgin Creek -- - 1,360 100 CND
* Button Point -- - 713 100 CND
* Dutch -- - 1,121 100 CND
Battle Mountain FO * Moses Cx T2 - 7,266 80 8/23
Elko FO * Horse Creek -- - 2,420 100 CND
Humboldt-Toiyabe NF * Powell -- - 600 50 8/23
ID Lower Snake District Frog Haller -- 300 300 100 CND
Meadow Creek -- 800 575 100 CND
* Smith Springs -- - 100 100 CND
Upper Snake District Wilson Gulch -- 200 200 100 CND
Dept. of Energy * INEEL Assist -- - 38,400 100 CND
UT Salt Lake FO Dry Canyon -- 1,700 1,700 100 CND
State * Sinks -- - 800 100 CND
VA State * Smith Mt. Lake -- - 400 100 CND
TX State * Miller Springs -- - 150 60 8/20
* Baptist Academy -- - 110 100 NR
* Reece Creek -- - 1,000 60 8/22
* Triple R -- - 1,500 0 UNK
WY Casper District * Outlaw -- - 1,330 100 CND
AR Pond Creek NWR * Salt Lick -- - 190 100 UNK
Heading Notes
Unit Agency or Area Office = BIA area; NF = national forest; RU = CA
state resource or ranger unit; RD = state ranger district; FO =
BLM field office; District = BLM district; NWR = USFWS wildlife
refuge
Fire * = newly reported fire (on this report); Cx = complex
IMT T1 = Type I Team; T2 = Type II Team; T3 = Type III Team; 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; UNK = unknown; NR = no
report; LR = last report unless significant activity occurs
NUMBER OF NEW FIRES (FOUR DAY TREND)
NPS BIA BLM FWS States USFS Total
Wednesday, 8/18 1 8 0 1 122 36 213
Thursday, 8/19 6 15 0 0 232 88 387
Friday, 8/20 2 9 43 0 257 47 358
Saturday, 8/21 1 8 19 0 101 59 188
TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FOUR DAY TREND)
Crews Engines Helicopters Airtankers Overhead
Wednesday, 8/18 67 150 35 10 175
Thursday, 8/19 88 264 53 6 247
Friday, 8/20 63 221 50 3 201
Saturday, 8/21 90 225 44 1 328
CURRENT SITUATION
Moderate initial attack and new large fires were reported on Saturday in the
South, Northwest, Great Basin and southern California.
Very high to extreme fire indices were reported Oregon, California, Montana,
Idaho, Utah, Nevada, South Dakota, and Texas.
[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 8/20-22]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, PROTECTION AND EDUCATION
No entries.
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Reports pending...
MEMORANDA
No entries.
INTERCHANGE
No entries.
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Reports pending...
* * * * *
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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