Mammoth Cave National Park (KY)
Passing of Employees Joe McGown and Rusty Drake
The staff at Mammoth Cave National Park is mourning the deaths of two employees over the weekend. Joe McGown, 53, chief of fee management for the park, died Sunday afternoon in a Washington, D.C., hospital from complications brought on by a severe infection. And Russell M. (Rusty) Drake, 40, a heavy equipment mechanic, died Saturday at home from cancer.
"Needless to say, this was a hard blow to the staff here and it will be a while before everyone has adjusted to these losses," said park Superintendent Ron Switzer.
McGown, a native of the Mammoth Cave area, became ill over a week ago while on a business trip to Washington. Doctors said he might have gotten a bacterial infection from eating oysters while on vacation the week before he traveled to the nation's capital. McGown worked for the Park Service for 35 years. He began his career as a seasonal laborer at the park. Except for a short detail to help establish the Mojave National Preserve in California, McGown spent all of his career at Mammoth Cave, where he served as a park ranger, chief guide and, for a time, acting director of the Great Onyx Job Corps Center.
He is survived by his wife, B., and daughter, C. Funeral arrangements are pending. Condolences may be sent to his home.
Drake was a newcomer to the Park Service and to Mammoth Cave.
He joined the Mammoth Cave staff in April, 2002, after working for the
U.S. Air Force in the Washington, D.C., area. He is survived by
his wife, B.J., a son, A., two brothers and one sister.
Condolences may be sent to his home. Drake's final arrangements
also are pending.
[Submitted by Paul Winegar, Public Affairs,
SERO]
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Follow-up on Car Clout Arrest
During the spring and summer of 2003, there were more than 45 car
clouts in the Little River area of the park. On July 11th, a special
operations group was formed in an effort to catch the thieves. Rangers
kept close watch on five different sites in the area. Ranger Jonathan
Holter, who was watching the Alum Cave trailhead parking area, saw a man
break into three cars and take items from them. N.E., 45, of
Limestone, Tennessee, was arrested and charged with theft of property,
unauthorized entry, possession of morphine, and possession of marijuana;
companion B.B., 46, of Greenville, Tennessee, was charged with
conspiracy to commit a crime and possession of marijuana. N.E. has
been in jail since his arrest. Special agent Jeff Carlisle has been
leading an intensive investigation for the past ten months with the
assistance of rangers Lorena Harris, Larry Hartman and DeAnn Shults.
N.E. was recently sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of
conspiracy, ten counts of aiding and abetting in the use of an
unauthorized access device, and eleven counts of interstate
transport/commerce of falsely forged security (unauthorized use of
credit cards and checks). He was sentenced to 30 months in jail and
ordered to pay $13,573.48 in restitution. He will serve his time in a
federal penitentiary in Nevada. Through the hard work of the
investigative team, two other people have also been charged —
B.B., who was with N.E., and F.H. B.B. and F.H. will
be sentenced in June.
[Submitted by Rick Brown, District Ranger]
Grand Canyon National Park (AZ)
Four Killed in Plane Crash Near Park
On the evening of May 15th, visitors at the remote Tuweep overlook on
the North Rim saw a single-engine aircraft spin into the ground and
explode roughly two miles from the viewpoint. They reported the crash,
and the park's helicopter was dispatched to the scene with SAR, EMS and
fire personnel aboard. They found that none of the four people on board
the plane survived the crash, and determined that it had come down
outside the park. Park staff are providing logistical support for the
recovery operation, which is being undertaken by the Coconino County
Sheriff's Office. Investigators have determined that the plane was an
experimental model, and that it had disappeared from radar while flying
at an altitude of 16,500 feet. The NTSB is investigating.
[Submitted
by Ivan Kassovic, Park Ranger/IC]
Lake Mead National Recreation Area (AZ,NV)
Visitor Drowns in Boat Swamping
Despite forecasts calling for high winds, D.D. and W.P.F. headed out
from Echo Bay Marina in a 20-foot ski boat on Monday, May 10th, with
family and friends following in a rented houseboat. The group planned to
travel to Calville Bay Marina and rendezvous there with the rest of
their party. The predicted winds — 25 to 35 mph, with gusts up to
45 mph — developed by mid-morning and caught the two vessels as
they headed south through Overton Arm. W.P.F. and D.D. were ahead of the
houseboat; they turned around when the lake became too rough and headed
north. Around 10 a.m., their boat swamped and rolled over far enough to
pitch them into the 71 degree water. They donned lifejackets and stayed
with the drifting vessel. As they drifted north, a houseboat heading
south passed them and D.D. decided to swim to it. W.P.F. lost sight of
D.D. and remained with the boat until it ran aground on Big Horn Island.
Just before 8 p.m., one of the members of the party waiting at Calville
Bay called park dispatch and reported both boats overdue. Since the
winds were forecast to continue until 9 p.m., plans were made to begin a
search at first light. Shortly after 7 a.m., rangers from Echo Bay found
the houseboat pushed sideways against the shore with all four occupants
(including D.D.'s parents) inside and okay. The search for the ski boat
continued when it was learned that the two boats had separated. A
fisherman found W.P.F. walking on the shoreline and took him to Echo
Bay, where he reported D.D. as missing. Using information provided by
W.P.F., rangers soon found their boat and were able to narrow the search
area. At 10:30 a.m., rangers found D.D.'s body washed ashore south of
Big horn Island at Kendal Cove. An autopsy will be conducted to
determine the exact cause of death.
[Submitted by Talmadge Magno,
Northshore District Ranger]
FIRE MANAGEMENT
National Interagency Fire Center
NIFC Situation Report — Tuesday, May 18, 2004
Preparedness Level 1
Three of yesterday's 203 newly-reported fires were caught by initial attack; the remainder became large fires.
Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah.
Warnings and Watches
FIRE WEATHER WATCHES have been issued for northwestern Arizona and for southern Nevada.
National Resource Commitments
| Day |
Wed |
Thu |
Fri |
Sat |
Sun |
Mon |
Tue |
|
Date |
5/12 |
5/13 |
5/14 |
5/15 |
5/16 |
5/17 |
5/18 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Crews |
3 |
1 |
36 |
75 |
60 |
48 |
13 |
|
Engines |
30 |
18 |
22 |
46 |
30 |
26 |
35 |
|
Helicopters |
8 |
4 |
14 |
18 |
9 |
15 |
12 |
|
Air Tankers |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Overhead |
61 |
55 |
109 |
143 |
174 |
122 |
65 |
No national teams committed.
Everglades National Park (FL)
Blocks J & H Fire (Wildland Fire,Prescribed Fire Treatment)
The pine rockland savannahs of Everglades National Park represent the remaining intact fragment of a pine stand that used to extend from the Everglades nearly to Ft. Lauderdale. These pines, a variety of which occurs virtually nowhere else but the Everglades, require frequent fire. This burn was conducted to maintain the natural frequent fire regime that is required for the survival of this unique habitat. (full report)
An unusual weather pattern continues, with a high pressure ridge anchored across Florida that has brought 10 consecutive days of relatively low humidities, sunshine and breezy conditions. As a result, the Block J & H prescribed fire continues to burn within the units.
Up until May 14, the prescribed fire was considered successful in meeting management objectives. On May 14, the fire was observed creeping into several large tropical hardwood hammocks in Block H & J that house multiple threatened and endangered plants and animals. Fire prescription and implementation were both designed to exclue fire from penetrating these hammocks. As a result, the incident shifted from a prescribed burn to a suppression effort on May 14. Current efforts are focused on suppression of fire in the hammocks. The Fire Road hiking trails that surround parts of the burn remain closed to the public due to continued fire activity and snags.
Status: Pineland fire roads adjacent to the burn are currently closed since they represented holding lines. Engines are identifying and mitigating hazard snags, and it is expected trails will re-open upon control.
Acreage: May 4: 205 acres, May 5: 800 acres (2 day total) May 6: 1000 acres (3 day total), May 17: 1,400 acres (14 day total)
Resources Committed: For three days during ignition and holding we had two-three Type 6 engines assigned, 1 light helicopter, 1 ignition squad, and various overhead for command, ignition, holding, safety and fire monitoring. We also utilized NPS Rangers with marked vehicles for traffic control during phases of the burn. Current resources are one Type 3 engine, three Type 6 engines, 20 overhead personnel (11 NPS, 4 private, 4 FWS, 1 State), two light helicopters, and one single-engine air tanker (SEAT). Additional engines are available as needed.
Estimated containment date: May 31, 2004[Submitted by Michelle Fidler, Fire Information Officer, Michelle_Fidler@nps.gov, 305-242-7853]
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.