INCIDENTS

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New York Area Parks
Northeast Power Blackout

The power outage that struck much of the Northeast on August 14th caused some problems and led to a few closures in area parks:

• Statue of Liberty NM/Ellis Island NM — The park closed shortly after 4 p.m. on Thursday and the islands were evacuated. Although the power was soon restored to both islands, they remained closed on Friday because security screening facilities on Manhattan were still without power.
• Gateway NRA — Floyd Bennett Field lost power and was closed. Fort Wadsworth was without power on Thursday, but regained it on Friday. The Park Police's New York Field Office went to a modified Code Orange on Thursday and called in additional officers to provide additional security for Gateway units. Swimming beaches were closed due to a raw sewage discharge from Long Island.
• Fire Island NS — The park was without power for 14 hours, beginning at 4 p.m. on Thursday. A generator was used to keep up refrigeration and to provide gas. Telecommunications and long distance phone service were also out, as was the park's radio repeater.

[Submitted by Bob Martin, Chief Ranger, NER; Cynthia Garrett, Superintendent, STLI; Maj. Richard Murphy, USPP; SHEN EICC]

South Dakota Parks
Special Event: Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

The annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally was held from August 4th through August 10th. The associated heavy traffic and visitation impacted national park units throughout the Black Hills area. Heavy motorcycle traffic was evident several days prior to the official beginning of the event. Rally officials estimate that approximately 500,000 people attended this year's event. Approximately 112,500 people entered Mount Rushmore on motorcycles during the rally period, supplementing visitors who arrived in other vehicles. This was the heaviest motorcycle traffic at Mount Rushmore in the history of the event. Park staff responded to 14 motorcycle accidents and to numerous other incidents during the week. Members of over 20 "outlaw" motorcycle gangs, identified through their "colors," were seen in the park. The staff at Mount Rushmore was assisted in managing traffic and events by the Midwest Region special events team and by rangers from Indiana Dunes NL and Wind Cave NP . While based at Mount Rushmore, the team also provided assistance to Badlands NP and Devils Tower NM. The official dates for next year's Rally are set for August 9th through the 15th.
[Submitted by Mike Pflaum, Chief Ranger, Mount Rushmore NM]

Mammoth Cave National Park (KY)
Arrest for Child Sexual Abuse

On July 16th, rangers received information regarding a possible sexual abuse incident that had occurred in the park. Investigation revealed that R.F. of Cave City, Kentucky, had camped with a female companion and a 12 year-old child at Houchins Ferry campground in late May or early June. While staying there, R.F. attempted to fondle the child and also tried to coerce him into having sex with his female companion. The child's parents became aware of the incident when they noticed the child making sexual advances toward a younger sibling. When asked about his behavior, the child — who suffers from severe ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) — told his parents that he had learned it on the camping trip. The female companion who was present was identified and corroborated the child's story. The case was presented to a grand jury, which returned a sealed indictment against R.F. on August 6th. Law enforcement specialist Brad McDougal and ranger Miranda Cook arrested R.F. in nearby Glasgow, Kentucky, the following day. At the time of his arrest, R.F. was dressed in the cowboy costume he wore as part of his duties as a performer at a local theme park that caters to families with children. Ranger David Alexander is the case agent.
[Submitted by Wayne Elliott, Chief Ranger]

Redwood National and State Parks (CA)
Stolen Vehicle; Suicide

On the evening of August 11th, rangers found an abandoned illegal campsite in the Klamath area of the park. During investigation of the site, they discovered a vehicle insurance certificate. A check of the identification number indicated the associated vehicle had been stolen out of Norfolk, Virginia, and provided the name of a suspect who was said to be armed with a shotgun and suicidal. Also found at the site was an empty long gun case. The rangers transmitted an alert for the vehicle and suspect to area agencies. Later that evening, a county deputy found the vehicle in the park along Enderts Beach Road, just south of Crescent City. He requested backup and initiated a felony arrest at gunpoint. The operator would not obey any instructions; he then reached under the seat, took out a shotgun, and shot himself.
[Submitted by Curt M. Vade Bon Coeur, Acting Chief Ranger]

Crater Lake National Park (OR)
Assist with Structural Fire

The Cattle Crossing Cafe, a well-known landmark in Fort Klamath, was destroyed by fire early on the morning of August 8th. The Chiloquin-Agency Lake Fire District was the first unit to respond and immediately requested assistance from the park and several other agencies. Four firefighters from Crater Lake responded with the park's structural engine. First units arrived on scene at approximately 4:30 a.m., but found that the building was almost completely destroyed. Firefighters concentrated on protecting exposed areas and surrounding structures. There were no fatalities or injuries and limited damage to other structures. An investigation of the cause is underway.
[Submitted by Daniel J. Jacobs, District Ranger]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

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Fire and Aviation Management
National and NPS Fire Summary - Tuesday, August 19, 2003

Preparedness Level 5

Initial attack was again light throughout the nation. There were 169 newly-reported fires, two of which became large fires. Another three large fires were contained.

The fire situation in Montana, where 25 large fires remain active, is still serious. More than 1,700 residences are receiving structure protection from firefighters, numerous recreation and residential areas are evacuated, many roads are closed and the weather forecast is calling for warmer and drier conditions with increased winds today and Wednesday.

Two more area command teams have been committed. Rounsaville's team will manage the Lincoln and Sheep Complexes and the Winslow, East, Rough Draw, Cathedral Peak, and Burnt Ridge Fires; Ribar's will manage the Strawberry Complex and the Boles Meadow, Dirty Ike, Mineral/Primm, Cooney Ridge, and Gold 1 Fires.

Fire Danger

Day	8/10	8/11	8/12	8/13	8/18	8/19
Alaska	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
Arizona	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
California	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
Colorado	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
Hawaii	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
Idaho	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
Minnesota	--	--	--	--	VX	VX
Montana	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
Nevada	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
New Mexico	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
North Dakota	--	--	--	--	--	VX
Oklahoma	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
Oregon	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
South Dakota	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
Texas	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
Utah	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
Washington	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX
Wyoming	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX	VX

VH — Very high
EX — Extreme
VX — Very high to extreme

Fire Weather Watches and Warnings

FIRE WEATHER WATCHES have been issued for wind this afternoon in the southern Idaho Panhandle and in sections of west-central Montana.

A RED FLAG WARNING has been issued for winds this afternoon in northwest Montana.

National Resource Commitments

Day	8/8	8/10	8/11	8/12	8/13	8/18	8/19
Crews	274	245	233	309	368	507	503
Engines	452	422	488	769	763	954	1,005
Helicopters	200	106	136	161	144	171	169
Air Tankers	9	0	2	6	1	0	2
Overhead	2,324	2,118	2,177	2,608	3,227	4,738	4,799

National Team Commitments

New team commitments or changes in teams are indicated in bold face.

State	Type Team	Team IC	Fire/Location	Acres	Percent Contain	Est Full Contain
MT	ACT	Mann	Flathead NF/Glacier NP Fires	---	---	---
MT	ACT	Greenhoe	Lolo NF/Bitterroot NF Fires	---	---	---
MT	ACT	Rounsaville	Montana Fires	---	---	---
MT	ACT	Ribar	Montana Fires	---	---	---
MT	T1	Ferguson	Robert Fire Flathead NF/Glacier NP	42,986	45	9/20
MT	T1	Ferguson Hart	Trapper Creek Complex Glacier NP	24,056	65	9/5
MT	T1	Hart	Wedge Canyon Fire Flathead NF	41,106	60	9/15
ID	T2	Rios	Slims Complex Nez Perce NF	12,250	65	8/25
MT	T1	Vail	Crazy Horse Fire Flathead NF	9,855	18	UNK
ID	T1	Oltrogge	Rough Draw Complex Gallatin NF	2,068	5	UNK
ID	T1	Martin	Canyon Creek Fire Boise NF	5,475	60	8/23
ID	T1	Frye	Beaver Lake Complex Clearwater NF	12,849	30	UNK
MT	T1	Bennett	Mineral/Primm Fire State Lands	13,000	5	UNK
MT	T1	Humphrey	Cathedral Peak Fire Custer NF	1,065	5	UNK
MT	T1	Studebaker	Lincoln Complex Helena NF	9,525	5	UNK
MT	T1	Stam	Craig II Fire N. Cheyenne Agency	NR	NR	UNK
ID	T2	--	Milepost 59 Fire State Lands	6,300	55	8/19
WY	T2	Gardner	East Fire Yellowstone NP	15,000	12	UNK
MT	T2	Berndt	Strawberry Complex Lolo NF	1,300	65	UNK
MT	T2	Walker	E. Montana Complex Miles City FO, BLM	16,780	40	UNK
MT	T2	Sczepanik	Windmill Complex Crow Agency	29,480	30	8/25
MT	T2	Hendricks	Burnt Ridge Complex Lewis and Clark NF	772	28	UNK
MT	T2	Blume	Winslow Fire State Lands	8,500	10	UNK
ID	T2	Muir	Withington Fire Salmon-Challis NF	10,500	35	UNK
MT	T2	Chrisman	Dirty Ike Fire State Lands	850	100	CND
MT	T2	Dietrich	Black Mountain 2 State Lands	7,316	29	8/25
MT	T2	Hoff	Boles Meadow Fire State Lands	3,750	70	8/22
MT	T2	Sandman	Cooney Ridge Complex State Lands	16,159	10	9/15
ID	T2	Van Bruggen	North Fork Lick Fire Payette NF	6,253	NR	UNK
ID	T2	Saleen	South Fork Fire Boise NF	5,540	65	8/23
WY	T2	Mullinex	N. Bighorn Complex Bighorn NF	8,200	45	UNK
MT	T2	Swope	Cherry Creek Fire Lolo NF	4,000	60	UNK
MT	T2	Benes	Fish Creek Fire Lolo NF	10,400	0	UNK
MT	T2	Larsen	Hobble Fire State Lands	38,400	85	8/24
MT	T2	Philbin	Gold 1 Fire Bitterroot NF	6,468	10	UNK
OR	ST	Thorpe	Clover Creek Fire State Land	327	100	CND
OR	ST	Thorpe	Hagelstein Fire State Land	422	60	UNK
WA	ST	Jennings/Perry	Togo Mountain Fire Colville NF	4,095	5	UNK
WA	ST	Holloway Reed	Black Canyon Fire State Land	2,280	85	8/20
ID	FUM	Cones	Cayuse Lake Complex Clearwater NF	7,586	0	UNK
ID	FUM	Cones	Clear/Nez Complex Clearwater NF	7,791	NR	NR

PARK FIRE SITUATION

Glacier NP

An area command team (Mann) is coordinating the Type 1 teams assigned to the Robert, Trapper Creek Complex, and Wedge Canyon Fires. Yesterday was generally quiet. It was windy, but temperatures were cooler. Today will be a critical day due to the predicted passage of a cold front. Going to the Sun Highway between Lake McDonald and Logan Pass is now open around the clock. The restrictions against bicycle use and stopping are still in force. Sperry Chalet, Lake McDonald Lodge, Sprague Campground and Avalanche Campground remain closed.

Wedge Canyon Fire (41,106 acres; 60% contained) — The fire was relatively inactive yesterday, displaying short crown runs and interior torching. Structure protection remains in place for 80 residences. Resource commitments as of yesterday (Monday's figure in parentheses):

• Firefighters/overhead — 642 (590)
• Crews — 9 (14)
• Engines — 29 (29)
• Helicopters — 3 (4)

Robert Fire (42,986 acres; 45% containment) — Fire activity was low, with smoldering, creeping, short upslope runs and torching observed. Structure protection is in place for 140 residences and six commercial properties. Resource commitments as of yesterday (Monday's figure in parentheses):

• Firefighters/overhead — 734 (735)
• Crews — 18 (17)
• Engines — 30 (29)
• Helicopters — 5 (5)

Trapper Creek Complex (24,056 acres; 65% containment) — The fires are in monitor status, with no significant perimeter growth reported. Structure protection is in place for three commercial properties. Resource commitments as of yesterday (Monday's figure in parentheses):

• Firefighters/overhead — 25 (25)
• Crews — 1 (1)
• Engines — 2 (2)
• Helicopters — 0 (0)

Yellowstone NP

East Fire (15,000 acres; 12%) — Gardner's Type 2 team is assigned. Fire activity was moderate with isolated torching and spotting ground fire. Firefighters made good progress in strengthening control lines on the northwest fire perimeter near the Fishing Bridge community. The east entrance of the park remains closed. Structure protection is in place for five residences and 30 commercial properties. Resource commitments as of yesterday (Monday's figure in parentheses):

• Firefighters/overhead — 444 (368)
• Crews — 12 (12)
• Engines — 8 (4)
• Helicopters — 5 (5)

Grizzly Fire (300 acres) — The fire was inactive yesterday. It remains unstaffed due to unsafe conditions for firefighters.

Tyson Fire (149 acres) — The fire is being aggressively suppressed and is now 60% contained.

Union Fire (84 acres) — The fire is near Pitchstone Plateau and is spreading slowly to the north into a previously burned area. A confinement area is being established around the fire beyond which point it will be suppressed.

Other Park Fires

Fire operations elsewhere in the system include:

• Grand Canyon NP — Little new activity was reported.
• Grand Teton NP — Three new fires have been reported since Saturday. One was suppressed, the other two are being managed for resource benefits.
• North Cascades NP — Seven fires, ranging in size from a tenth of an acre to 53 acres, are burning in remote areas with natural barriers to fire spread, such as rocky cliffs. The fires can burn without posing a threat to human life or property and can be allowed to play their natural role in the ecosystem. The new quarter-acre Colonial Creek Fire is being suppressed due to its proximity to visitor services.
• Sequoia and Kings Canyon NP — The Williams Fire has now burned 250 acres. No other changes from yesterday's report.

Glacier National Park
Going-to-the-Sun Road Reopens

The following information was current as of 10 a.m. MDT on Monday:

A steady stream of vehicles came through the west entrance to Glacier National Park  Sunday as traffic was allowed on the entire Going-to-the-Sun Road (Sun Road) across Logan Pass for the first time since August 10. The west side of the Sun Road was closed when high winds caused the Robert Fire to jump the Camas Road and burn east across Howe Ridge west of Lake McDonald. At 6 a.m. the entire 50-mile-long Sun Road reopened for traffic between West Glacier and St Mary.

Because of ongoing potential hazards from wildfires, no stopping is currently allowed between the head of Lake McDonald (Kelly Camp Road) and Bird Woman Falls Overlook (3.5 miles east of the Loop). Bicycles are also prohibited in the "no stopping" portion of the Sun Road until further notice.

Private landowners with cabins on the north end of Lake McDonald were allowed to return to their homes on an unrestricted basis Sunday. Residents of the historic Kelly Camp, on the northwest shore, were also allowed to return to their homes Sunday morning, but only by boat. Because of the Robert Fire burnout near the Kelly Camp Road, there is a danger from falling rocks and tree snags. Residents of Kelly Camp and elsewhere along the head of Lake McDonald are advised against going near the burnout area. Lake McDonald remains temporarily closed to boating due to aerial support for the Robert Fire burnout along Stanton Mountain.

With the entire Sun Road reopening, Sperry Chalet and Lake McDonald Lodge are preparing for a phased reopening of each facility. Sperry Chalet will again accept overnight guests beginning tonight. Glacier Park, Inc. plans to reopen the Lake McDonald Campstore Tuesday morning and the Lake McDonald Lodge at noon on Wednesday.

Apgar Village and Apgar Campground have reopened. Sprague Creek Campground reopens today at noon; however, Fish Creek and Avalanche campgrounds remain closed.

Visitor services remain available on the east, south and north sides of Glacier National Park, including Granite Park Chalet, the Highline trail and the Swiftcurrent Pass trail. The park's North Fork area, north from Lake McDonald and west of the Continental Divide, and the Camas Road remains temporarily closed until further notice. Trail status is available at http://www.nps.gov/glac/activities/trails.htm

Four major wildfires continue to burn in Glacier National Park. The Robert Fire is located in the vicinity of the West Glacier/Apgar and west shore Lake McDonald area. The Trapper Creek Fire is in the north central portion of the park, primarily northwest of the Loop on the Sun Road. The Wedge Canyon Fire is located in the remote northwest corner of the park near Kintla Lake and Flathead National Forest and private land adjacent to the forest. The Wolf Gun Fire is on the south side of Logging Lake. Current information on the fires burning with the park is available at the Interagency Joint Information Center at (406) 755-3910. Fire information is also available at www.fs.fed.us/r5/fire/ciimt5/ac/.

Because of ongoing extremely dry conditions, no open flames are allowed in Glacier National Park until further notice. Due to State II fire restrictions, smoking is prohibited (including pipes) except inside vehicles and buildings where permitted.Smoke conditions from area wildfire change depending on local weather conditions. Current visibility in the park can be checked by viewing Glacier's web cams at ww.nps.gov/glac/whatsnew.htm

Updates on air quality are also available at www.flatheadhealth.org/commonhealth/firealerts.htm

PARKS AND PEOPLE

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Yosemite National Park (CA)
Yosemite Reunion Planned for October

Kim Tucker, one of the planners for the big Yosemite reunion planned for the weekend of October 28 — 30, 2003, has sent along this note, addressed to all NPS employees:

I hope that many of you have heard a rumor about a reunion being planned for Yosemite employees this fall. I am pleased to say, that unlike many rumors, this one is true! I haven't been keeping information "secret" but I have waited to make an announcement until our website was operational — which it now is. Please take a look at the site, which is www.yosemitereunion.info.

My friend, Butch Farabee, who is a retired NPS employee, and I began planning this event approximately a year ago after a trip down "memory lane." We wanted to create an opportunity for many of our friends (the National Park Service extended family), to come to Yosemite for three days of reunion — with one another, and with the park. This reunion is open to anyone who has lived or worked in the park. We are hoping to see many faces from the 1970's, which are "the good old days" to us.

This reunion is strictly social — no workshops, training, etc. are planned. Our emphasis is on having a relaxing time without deadlines or scheduling conflicts. We plan to arrange some meals such as hamburger BBQs or pizza, and we welcome anyone to attend. We will have some scheduled activities, too, such as a tour of the "new" El Portal facilities, and some informal talks by former and current staff. Details on these aspects of the event will be forthcoming.

We are interested in your thoughts as to how the reunion could be made more special, meaningful and fun! I hope that each of you, no matter how long you have lived or worked in the park, will have an opportunity to set aside your daily routine for even a few minutes to reunite with those who are important to you, and to enjoy being in Yosemite at a wonderful time of the year! Take time to enjoy the park!

Please share this information with those who may not have access to e-mail!

Thank you!
[Submitted by Kim Tucker]

Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found on the left side of the front page of InsideNPS. All reports should be submitted via email to Bill Halainen at Delaware Water Gap NRA, with a copy to your regional office and a copy to Dennis Burnett in Division of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, WASO.

Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.