Wrangell - St Elias National Park & Preserve (AK)
Search In Progress for Missing Climber
A search is underway for missing climber J.H. on 16,237-foot
Mount Sanford. J.H. was dropped off at Windy Ridge on the slopes of
Mount Sanford on May 4th by McMahan Guide and Flying Services. When
McMahan returned to pick him up on May 9th, J.H. had not returned.
Several intensive aerial searches were conducted, but all so far have
been fruitless. Alaska State Troopers, the Air National Guard
Rescue Coordination Center, the National Park Service, area climbers,
and McMahan Guide and Flying Service have been involved in the search.
On Friday, rangers and a guide service pilot employed two aircraft to
search from the toe of the Sheep Glacier down Boulder Creek and along
the Copper River. J.H. could have ended up in these areas if he got
off-route, as Windy Ridge can be hard to find in the fog. A helicopter
shuttled rangers to the mountain to search the climbing route,
especially in the icefall area, found at around 8,000 feet. The
helicopter also shuttled four climbers to the top of Ice Fall on the
Sheep Glacier. What appeared from the air to be a single set of ski
tracks between the toe of the Sheep Glacier and the 8,000-foot elevation
west of the glacier off the route was being investigated at the time of
the report. According to J.H.'s father, J.H. has aspired for years
to receive international mountain guiding credentials, which only about
20 people in the USA have obtained. His family said he loves to ski and
much prefers to live outside rather than inside. He has spent several
seasons mountain guiding and backcountry ski guiding in Argentina and
France. J.H. grew up in Boise, Idaho, where he graduated from high
school in 1994. J.H. also served as assistant coach at Bogas Basin Ski
Area in Boise, Idaho, for two, and spent another two seasons as
assistant coach for the Alyeska Junior Ski Racing Program.
[Submitted
by Smitty Parratt, Information Officer]
Yellowstone National Park (ID,MT,WY)
Rangers Capture Man Wanted by NPS
On May 3rd, special agent Bruce Applin and ranger Joe Bueter arrested
B.S. for interfering with agency functions. B.S. was the
subject of a BOLO (be on the lookout notice) that had been circulated
throughout western and northwestern parks, and is in the custody of
federal marshals. Parks that have been looking for B.S. or have an
interest in him should contact Applin at 307-344-2121. Parks will be
advised when he is released from custody.
[Submitted by Brian Smith,
Supervisory Special Agent]
Gulf Islands National Seashore (FL,MS)
Drowning Off West Ship Island
N.H., a 19-year-old resident of Long Beach, Mississippi,
drowned off the west tip of West Ship Island on the afternoon of Monday,
May 10th. He and two companions had walked down the west tip of the
island, then entered the water. They were standing in knee-deep water
when they were pulled out into the gulf by strong currents. N.H.'s
companions made it to shore, but he disappeared. Ranger Lance Twombly
was notified via marine radio and responded along with maintenance
employee Joseph Tyson and the captain of a concession vessel. They found
N.H. on a private boat near shore, where CPR was being administered.
Twombly and the concession captain took over and continued CPR for an
hour, but N.H. did not regain consciousness.
[Submitted by J.D.
Lee, Chief Ranger]
FIRE MANAGEMENT
National Interagency Fire Center
NIFC Situation Report — Monday, May 17, 2004
Preparedness Level 1
A total of 138 new fires were reported yesterday, all but one contained by initial attack.
Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Arizona, California, Colorado, Kansas and Minnesota.
Warnings and Watches
No warnings or watches issued for today.
National Resource Commitments
| Day |
Tue |
Wed |
Thu |
Fri |
Sat |
Sun |
Mon |
|
Date |
5/11 |
5/12 |
5/13 |
5/14 |
5/15 |
5/16 |
5/17 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Crews |
39 |
3 |
1 |
36 |
75 |
60 |
48 |
|
Engines |
146 |
30 |
18 |
22 |
46 |
30 |
26 |
|
Helicopters |
15 |
8 |
4 |
14 |
18 |
9 |
15 |
|
Air Tankers |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Overhead |
277 |
61 |
55 |
109 |
143 |
174 |
122 |
National Team Commitments
Newly listed fires (on this report) appear below in boldface. Fires are sorted by type of team; teams are listed in alphabetical order within each type by the IC's last name.
|
State |
Type |
Team IC |
Fire/Location |
Acres |
Acres |
Percent |
Est Full |
|
| |||||||
|
CA |
ST1 |
Winton |
Cottonwood Fire |
1,800 |
1,845 |
100% |
CND |
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (CA)
Ash Mountain Hazard Fuel Reduction Project (Prescribed Fire Treatment)
Completed annually, this work includes mechanical thinning and prescribed burning near park buildings, homes, and public picnic areas. The overall project consists of twelve small segments (averaging approximately two acres in size) that are dispersed throughout Ash Mountain, Hospital Rock, and the Buckeye Housing Area. Some segments are burned each year and others are on a biannual rotation. This year, nine segments will be burned over the next 4 to 6 weeks. (full report)
Status: Park visitation will not be affected by this project.
Acreage: all units combined = 25 acres
Estimated containment date: June 30, 2004[Submitted by Jody Lyle, jody_lyle@nps.gov, (559) 565-3703]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Servicewide Training
Operations Training Opportunities
This calendar appears intermittently on Mondays as an addendum to the Morning Report and a separate entry for InsideNPS. It is not meant to be replace the Learning Place; rather it is a quick summary of available training with links (as available) to relevant Learning Place pages. Please note:
- New and revised entries are in bold face.
- Submissions for other training courses should conform to the style used here.
- Please include the URL to the web sites where readers can obtain the requisite forms and/or find out additional information about the training course. If a URL is not specifically listed, the announcement can likely be found on the Learning Place, the NPS training page found at http://www.nps.gov/training/announcements/index.doc.
- Closing dates for applications are underscored.
**********************************************************************************************
May
May 24 — May 28: Wildland Fire Origin and Cause Determination (NWCG FI-210), Redmond, OR. For more information, contact either John Carpenter at 912-267-2607 (John.Carpenter@associates.dhs.gov) or SA Alan Foster at 530-359-2108. [Alan Foster]
June
June 7 — June 11: Wildland Fire Origin and Cause Determination (NWCG FI-210), Missoula, MT. For more information, contact either John Carpenter at 912-267-2607 (John.Carpenter@associates.dhs.gov) or SA Alan Foster at 530-359-2108. [Alan Foster]
June 14 — June 18: Wildland Fire Origin and Cause Determination (NWCG FI-210), Boise, ID . For more information, contact either John Carpenter at 912-267-2607 (John.Carpenter@associates.dhs.gov) or SA Alan Foster at 530-359-2108. [Alan Foster]
July
July 20 — November 13: National Park Ranger Basic Law Enforcement Training (NPRI-407), FLETC, Glynco, GA. Closes on June 16th. For more info, go to http://www.nps.gov/training/announcements/index.doc. [Wiley Golden, NPS/FLETC)
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.