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Subject: NPS Morning Report - Monday, September 27, 1999
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Date: Mon, 27 Sep 1999 10:20:49 -0400
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Monday, September 27, 1999
INCIDENTS
99-564 - Padre Island NS (TX) - Follow-up: Serious Employee Illness
Ranger Gary Carroll began having severe chest pains while on duty on
September 16th. He was taken off the beach by patrol vehicle, then
transported by ambulance to a local cardiac care hospital. He was diagnosed
as suffering from a coronary thrombosis. He was to be released from the
hospital on the 20th. [Gus Martinez, PAIS, 9/20]
99-580 - Hawaii Volcanoes NP (HI) - Aircraft Accident, Ten Fatalities
A Pipe Navaho Chieftain operated by Big Island Air crashed into Mauna Loa on
Saturday, September 25th, killing the pilot and all nine passengers. The
commercial flight flew out of Keahole Airport on Saturday afternoon for a
tour around the island and back to the airport. The plane was last heard
from by air traffic controllers at 5:21 p.m. The Coast Guard began a search
that evening after receiving an overdue flight report from Big Island Air,
but failed to find the aircraft. A county fire and rescue helicopter joined
the search early the following morning and spotted the wreckage of the
aircraft at the 10,500-foot level of the 13,600-foot mountain. The park was
notified at 6:30 a.m. A joint incident command was established to coordinate
the recovery of the victims, facilitate the FAA/NTSB investigation, and
ultimately remove the wreckage from the park wilderness area. At the time of
yesterday's report, family members were still being contacted by the American
Red Cross. The bodies of nine of the ten victims had been removed.
Indications are that the plane made a hard impact, slid about 75 yards,
rolled over and burned. Big Island Air has been in operation for 14 years.
The pilot reportedly had more than 10,000 hours of flight experience. Acting
chief ranger Gail Minami is IC. [Jim Martin, Superintendent, HAVO, 9/26;
Associated Press, 9/27]
99-581 - Padre Island NS (TX) - Drug Seizures
A group of men from San Benito, Texas, repeatedly entered a closed area of
the island from Labor Day on, and had to abandon two four-wheel-drive
vehicles and an ATV there when they became stuck in channels created by
Hurricane Bret. Information was gathered on them, and a BOLO (be on the
lookout message) was posted. They were seen entering the park several times
over the next ten days. On September 15th, two vehicles associated with the
group were seen heading north on the island. The second one was stopped and
searched by Border Patrol agents, who found and seized over 100 pounds of
marijuana. All five people in the vehicle were charged with transportation
and possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell. The second
vehicle was then stopped, and the operator was charged with smuggling illegal
aliens. Since this was his third such arrest, he received a six-month
suspended sentence. A total of five vehicles were eventually seized, and
rangers gained significant information about smuggling operations within the
park. [Gus Martinez, PAIS, 9/20-22]
99-582 - Padre Island NS (TX) - Search
On September 18th, T.A. reported that her nephew, G.A.,
17, had not been heard from since September 7th. She told rangers that he
had arranged to be smuggled from Mexico into the U.S. through the park.
Contacts in Mexico told her that he'd made it to mile marker 25 on the
island, and that he'd then gone to get water and been left behind when his
ride showed up. One of the smugglers, who she identified from photos, was
part of the group involved in the incident above (99-581). A search for the
boy was begun. T.A. called the park again a few days later and
said that G.A. had been found working at a car wash in Brownsville. She
had launched a media blitz in Mexico in an effort to find him. While working
at the car wash, G.A. heard his name on the radio and that his aunt was
looking for him. He called the radio station, then got in touch with her.
He is evidently back in Mexico, waiting to secure a visa to enter the U.S.
legally. [Gus Martinez, PAIS, 9/20-22]
FIRE ACTIVITY
NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II
LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY
Thu Sun % Est
State Unit Fire/Incident IMT 9/23 9/26 Con Con
CA Shasta-Trinity NF Big Bar Cx T1/2 54,784 65,388 65 UNK
Los Padres NF Kirk Cx T1/2 37,155 43,170 20 UNK
N. Cal. District * Lake -- - 1,800 98 9/26
Coast Cascade Region * Canyon ST - 2,000 0 UNK
MT Blackfeet Agency Dead Out T2 250 800 100 CND
Flathead NF * Dean Ridge -- - 1,575 0 11/1
* Gordon Creek -- - 345 0 RBF
* White River Pk. -- - 285 0 RBF
Bitterroot NF * Haystack I -- - 280 0 RBF
* Burnt Strip -- - 325 0 RBF
* Cedar Creek -- - 120 0 RBF
* Upper Indian -- - 180 0 RBF
Glacier NP Anaconda FUT 3,500 11,000 0 RBF
OR Vale District * Milepost 363 -- - 650 100 CND
WA Spokane Agency Two Rivers T2 400 3,000 90 9/27
Olympic NF * Oh Brother -- - 203 70 9/29
Okanagon NF * Rockview -- - 330 90 9/26
State * Mallot -- - 1,500 70 NR
TN Cherokee NF * Tellico Cx -- - 109 30 NR
NC NC NF's * Thunderhole -- - 100 50 9/28
LA Kisatchie NF * Yaupon -- - 120 100 CND
AR State * Jerusalem Cx -- - 100 100 CND
TX State Williams Ranch -- 11,000 11,000 100 CND
* Milford II -- - 400 100 CND
ID Fort Hall Agency * Dry -- - 2,100 100 CND
Nez Perce NF * Meadow Creek -- - 100 0 NR
Clearwater NF * Colt Killed Ck. -- - 1,150 0 RBF
Upper Snake District * 3S Milner Butte -- - 1,500 100 CND
* UPRRMP 318 -- - 900 100 CND
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; RBF = resource benefit fire, no containment action being
taken; LR = last report unless significant activity occurs
NUMBER OF NEW FIRES (FOUR DAY TREND)
NPS BIA BLM FWS States USFS Total
Thursday, 9/23 1 5 11 1 157 26 201
Friday, 9/24 0 2 1 0 316 23 342
Saturday, 9/25 0 10 5 0 138 35 188
Sunday, 9/26 0 1 9 0 133 36 179
TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FOUR DAY TREND)
Crews Engines Helicopters Airtankers Overhead
Thursday, 9/23 241 341 74 1 1,552
Friday, 9/24 240 309 71 0 1,610
Saturday, 9/25 256 456 74 15 1,382
Sunday, 9/26 320 455 79 8 1,995
CURRENT SITUATION
Initial attack was moderate in the South and California yesterday, but light
elsewhere.
Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in California, Nevada,
oregon, Idaho, Montana, Indiana, Illinois, Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee and
Georgia.
NICC has posted a RED FLAG WARNING for gusty north to east winds and low
humidity in northern and central California, and a RED FLAG WARNING for gusty
northwest winds and low humidity in interior southwestern Oregon.
[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 9/25-27]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, PROTECTION AND EDUCATION
No entries.
OPERATIONAL NOTES
No entries.
MEMORANDA
No entries.
INTERCHANGE
No entries.
PARKS AND PEOPLE
No entries.
CALENDAR
The biweekly calendar of training courses and meetings now appears as a
separate addendum to the Morning Report and follows in the next message.
* * * * *
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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