Redwood National and State Parks (CA)
Followup on Assault on Park Biologists
Three NPS biologists in a park vehicle were returning to the park's
South Operations Center just before
>midnight on May 3rd following an evening of owl monitoring in
the Bald Hills area of the park. They saw an SUV that appeared to be
broken down, so stopped to see if the operator needed any assistance. As
they approached, the driver began firing at them with a high-powered
rifle, breaking out the back window and striking the vehicle numerous
times. Once the biologists realized what was happening, they crouched
down in their vehicle and sped off downhill. No one was hurt. The same
man had been involved in a shooting with CHP officers earlier that day.
In late June, the Eureka Times-Standard carried a report that summed up
what happened thereafter:
"In a scene reminiscent of a Western movie, the man suspected of opening fire on numerous police officers in Del Norte and Humboldt counties last month was taken into custody after a shoot-out with Mexican authorities in a brothel.
"The Humboldt County Sheriff's Department said Francisco M.L., 29, is in custody in the state of Michoacan in west-central Mexico.
"The Crescent City Police Department said M.L. was arrested in the city of Apatcingan.
"Mexican authorities were alerted to M.L. when someone saw a gun in his waistband while he was in a brothel's bar. When police tried to arrest him, a shoot-out ensued and two officers were wounded. M.L. eventually ran out of ammunition and was arrested.
"Police learned that M.L. was wanted on four homicide arrest warrants in Mexico. He is also a suspect in 13 other homicides in Mexico.
"The Sheriff's Department said another man arrested with M.L., whose name was not released, is the suspected head of a Mexican drug cartel.
"Local investigators have known M.L. was in Mexico since a couple of days after the North Coast shootings and have been working with the FBI and Mexican officials.
"'I am ecstatic over this news,' said Crescent City Police Chief Douglas Plack. 'As promised to the citizens of Crescent City, their police department was not going to let this investigation fall to the wayside.'
"M.L. was living in Crescent City on May 3 when he allegedly opened fire on police officers from the California Highway Patrol, the Hoopa Tribal Police Department, the Sheriff's Department and National Park Service biologists over a 14-hour period.
"The Sheriff's Department said M.L. will be held to answer to the
homicide charges in Mexico. It is not clear if he will be returned to
the United States to face 13 counts of attempted
homicide."
[Submitted by Scott Wanek, Regional Chief Ranger, Pacific
West Region]
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument (AZ)
Major Drug Smuggling Seizures
Rangers made a series of significant drug cases over the course of a
six-day period in June, seizing a ton and a half of marijuana.
Temperatures throughout the period were in excess of 100 degrees,
creating challenging conditions for operations:
- June 20 — Rangers tracked suspected smugglers for several miles through the park. Their load was found, but the smugglers disappeared. Ten backpacks with 483 pounds of marijuana were seized. Pilots from the Arizona raid detachment provided critical air support.
- June 21 — Rangers again tracked smugglers through the park, this time both seizing the marijuana (530 pounds) and arresting four smugglers. State raid detachment pilots again provided support.
- June 22 — A BOL was broadcast from the Lukeville port of entry, advising officers and rangers to keep an eye out for a red truck towing a fifth-wheel trailer. Rangers spotted it and followed until it reached a Border Patrol checkpoint. Border Patrol officers obtained the driver's consent to search both truck and trailer. The park's drug dog alerted on the floor of the trailer. At about the same time, the driver fainted and began to have seizures. He was checked out by EMS personnel, but declined treatment. The truck and trailer were taken to Lukeville and x-rayed. Just under a ton and a half of marijuana was found under a false floor in the trailer. Two people were taken into custody.
- June 26 — Rangers tracked suspected smugglers from the border through the park. They arrested three of the five men; the other two fled. A half ton of marijuana was seized. Rangers also found a large water cache.
The 3,000 plus pounds confiscated during the period does not include
seizures by other agencies or loads that were not
detected.
[Submitted by Chief Rangers Office]
Yellowstone National Park (ID,MT,WY)
Possible Malicious Poisoning
On July 1st, Lake District rangers received a call from a Jackson,
Wyoming, veterinarian about a dog brought in that morning that had
possibly consumed a toxic substance in Bridge Bay Campground. The
veterinarian said that the symptoms that the dog exhibited before it
died at the campground were similar to ingesting Temik. Temik poisoning
has sickened and killed more than 26 dogs in the Teton County area in
the past couple of months. The poisonings have occurred when dogs have
consumed hot dogs or meat chunks, laced with Temik, found by the sides
of roads and trails. The poisonings are currently under investigation by
Teton County Sheriff's Office and other agencies. The campsite and
surrounding area were thoroughly searched, with nothing suspicious being
found. Warnings have been posted in the area to remind campers,
visitors, and employees to be sure to keep their dogs on a leash and not
allow them to eat any food off the ground. An investigation is
continuing into the incident. Results of a necropsy performed on the
dead dog should be available shortly.
[Submitted by Public
Affairs] More Information...
Grand Teton National Park (WY)
Rescue from Middle Teton
Rangers rescued an injured climber from the Southwest Couloir on the
Middle Teton on Friday, July 9th. L.L.D., 20, who was visiting from
Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, was climbing with eleven other companions
when he slipped on hard-packed snow and could not successfully use an
ice axe to arrest his slide on the icy conditions. L.L.D. injured an
ankle when he hit some rocks. Rangers climbing in the vicinity of the
Southwest Couloir responded and provided basic medical assistance to the
injured L.L.D. at approximately 10:50 a.m. Due to the nature of his
injured ankle and deteriorating weather conditions, a decision was made
to evacuate L.L.D. by air. He was placed in a Teton Interagency contract
helicopter and flown to the park's Lupine Meadows rescue facility at
12:30 p.m. L.L.D. and his climbing companions are part of an alpine club
of Mexico. Fifty members of the group visited the park and were hiking
in and around Garnet Canyon at the time of the accident. This marks the
fifth major search and rescue operation in the park this
year.
[Submitted by Jackie Skaggs, Public Affairs Specialist]
Walnut Canyon National Monument (AZ)
Suicide
The body of a 49-year-old woman from Valle, Arizona, was found near
the park's entrance road on the evening of June 21st. She appeared to
have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound sometime within the two
preceding days. The shooting occurred just inside City of Flagstaff
jurisdiction, so that Flagstaff PD lead the investigation, with
assistance from Coconino County.
[Submitted by Kim Watson, Chief
Ranger]
FIRE MANAGEMENT
National Interagency Fire Center
NIFC Situation Report Highlights — Monday, July 12, 2004
Preparedness Level 3
NIFC reports 141 new fires on Sunday, with four becoming project fires.
Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.
Warnings and Watches
No warnings or watches have been issued for today.
National Resource Commitments
| Day |
Tue |
Wed |
Thu |
Fri |
Sat |
Sun |
Mon |
|
Date |
7/6 |
7/7 |
7/8 |
7/9 |
7/10 |
7/11 |
7/12 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Crews |
167 |
158 |
165 |
175 |
180 |
166 |
147 |
|
Engines |
265 |
208 |
217 |
240 |
200 |
190 |
232 |
|
Helicopters |
77 |
71 |
80 |
79 |
78 |
71 |
81 |
|
Air Tankers |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Overhead |
1,679 |
1,611 |
1,842 |
1,766 |
1,783 |
1,732 |
1,748 |
National/State Team Commitments
Newly listed fires (on this report) appear below in boldface. Changes in the status of a fire (type of team, change from a fire to a complex, etc.) are also noted in boldface.
Fires are sorted by type of team; teams are listed in alphabetical order within each type by the IC's last name.
|
ST |
AGCY |
TM |
IC |
Fire/Location |
7/9 |
7/12 |
% |
Est |
|
AK |
State |
1 |
Hart |
Boundary Fire |
334,700 |
339,400 |
20 |
UNK |
|
WA |
USFS |
1 |
Lohrey |
Pot Peak Fire |
7,700 |
9,000 |
65 |
UNK |
|
AZ |
USFS |
1 |
Oltrogge |
Nuttall Complex |
26,850 |
29,200 |
65 |
UNK |
|
AZ |
USFS |
1 |
Whitney |
Willow Fire |
118,300 |
119,500 |
90 |
7/12 |
|
AK |
BLM |
2 |
Chrisman |
Wolf Creek Fire |
200,000 |
187,000 |
10 |
UNK |
|
AK |
State |
2 |
Kurth |
Taylor Complex |
535,766 |
565,693 |
NR |
8/1 |
|
NV |
BLM |
2 |
Muir |
Chrome Fire |
---- |
4,500 |
80 |
7/13 |
|
CO |
State |
2 |
Mullenix |
Saddle Mtn. Fire |
---- |
301 |
40 |
7/14 |
|
AK |
State |
2 |
Stegmier |
Camp Creek Fire |
466,799 |
132,422 |
67 |
7/31 |
|
AK |
BLM |
FU |
Bird |
Solstice Complex |
359,590 |
396,711 |
5 |
UNK |
|
AK |
BLM |
FU |
Cones |
Eagle Complex |
465,799 |
471,898 |
NR |
UNK |
|
CO |
BLM |
FU |
Weldon |
Oil Springs Fire |
1,050 |
1,500 |
N/A |
N/A |
Further Information
This report is meant to present just highlights of the current fire situation. Two other NIFC sites provide much greater detail:
Full NIFC Situation Report (PDF file) — http://www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.pdf
National Fire News — http://www.nifc.gov/fireinfo/nfn.html
Information on NPS Fire and Aviation Management (FAM) and on park fires can be found at:
FAM — http://www.nps.gov/fire
Park fires — http://www.nps.gov/fire/news
OPERATIONAL NOTES
NPS Office at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
Protection Ranger Intake Pilot Program Begun For SER
Southeast Region and the NPS office at FLETC have developed and begun a protection ranger intake pilot program (see "Parks and People" below for the initial announcement).
This comprehensive program will make it possible for managers to centrally recruit, examine, select, orient, train, qualify, mentor and assign selected personnel to current vacant protection ranger positions within the region.
The vacancy announcement from the Office of Personnel Management (vacancy identification number AT191944) was issued on June 18th, with a closing date of July 16th. This announcement is for 24 positions, with promotional potential to the GS-9 level.
Those persons selected will enter on duty at the FLETC on October 18th for their 32 weeks of orientation and basic training. Upon successful completion of this comprehensive training, program trainees will be duty stationed somewhere in the Southeast Region.
This program is specific to addressing the needs of the protection ranger and does not involve the Servicewide intake program.
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Southeast Region
GS-5/7/9 Protection Rangers
Southeast Region is recruiting for 24 GS-5/7/9 law enforcement rangers. The positions are full time; government housing may be available. The work schedule includes nights, weekends and holidays. Parks are located throughout the region, including Virgin Islands NP. The cost of living is moderate to high. For more information, call regional chief ranger Judy Forte at 404-562-3108 ext. 617 or Bettey Clark at 404-562-3167 ext. 545. Applications/resumes should be sent directly to OPM, Attn: Vacancy ID # AT 191944, RB Russell Federal Building, 75 Spring Street, SW, Suite 1000, Atlanta, GA 30303.
[Submitted by Judy Forte, Regional Chief Ranger]
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.