Yosemite National Park (CA)
Rescue of Pack Mules
A park concession mule train supplying the Merced Lake High Sierra
Camp wrecked on the Bunnell switchbacks in the Merced River Canyon
around noon on July 9th. Four loaded
mules, strung together by rope, tumbled and slid for approximately 200
feet across low-angle granite slabs below the trail and came to rest
upon a granite bench. The animals sustained only slight injuries in
their fall. An NPS trail crew working nearby responded and assisted in
stabilizing the mules and assessing the situation. The trail crew
members decided that more resources and equipment were needed to safely
extricate the animals from where they were now stuck. The concession
stables foreman, the park trails branch supervisor, and two SAR team
members were flown to the scene in the park's contract helicopter.
The mules' metal shoes were covered with tape to simulate "sticky
rubber" climbing shoes. A rope system was set up to "belay" the
mules as they made their way back across the slick rock and up to the
trail. Three of four mules danced, high-stepped, and stumbled as
they were lead across the slabs back to safety. One mule, weighing
about a thousand pounds, slipped and rolled, but was caught by the rope
team. She was able to right herself and safely continue.
When all four mules were back on the trail, they were repacked and
continued up the trail to the camp.
[Submitted by Jason
Gayeski-Peters, SAR Team]
Denali National Park & Preserve (AK)
Airplane Crash with Fatality
On Friday, June 25th, the park received a request from the Alaska
State Forestry Department to assist with a reported wildfire near the
toe of the Eldridge Glacier within the boundaries of Denali State Park.
The state park shares a common boundary with the national park in the
area of the glacier. The park's high altitude Lama helicopter was
dispatched with helicopter manager Dave Kreutzer on board, stopping to
pick up a state fire incident commander en route. Arriving over the
two-acre fire, the helicopter crew discovered that it had apparently
been started by a downed light aircraft. The park helicopter ferried
firefighters to the scene and provided water bucket drops to help
suppress the fire. On Saturday, the helicopter transported a state
trooper and representatives from both the NTSB and the FAA to the crash
site for an investigation and removal of the pilot's body. The deceased
pilot was subsequently identified as J.S.C., 62, of San Diego,
California. National Park Service personnel are not involved in the
accident investigation, which is ongoing.
[Submitted by Peter
Armington, Chief, Division of Visitor and Resource Protection]
Cape Hatteras National Seashore (NC)
Follow-up on Poaching Arrests
On Monday, June 28th, J.P. and W.M., both 18 and
from Manteo, North Carolina, were sentenced in federal court for
poaching in the park. On April 2nd, rangers and a state conservation
officer arrested the pair for shooting a decoy deer. Subsequent
investigation revealed that J.P. and W.M. were responsible for
killing four deer in the Bodie Island District and for shooting into
restrooms near the Bodie Island lighthouse. Both men pled guilty to
three wildlife depredation charges and a charge of damaging government
property. The judge sentenced each of them to the maximum penalty of six
months in prison on each of the four counts. The first three are to run
consecutively and the four concurrent with the third, thereby giving
each man 18 months time in jail. They were ordered to report to prison
on July 31st.
[Submitted by Paul Stevens, Law Enforcement
Specialist]
Badlands National Park (SD)
Paleontological Theft
On the afternoon of June 20th, rangers received word that two people
were apparently poaching fossils in the Conata Wilderness Unit of the
park. They were evidently collecting surface fossils near an ongoing
paleontological dig commonly called the "Pig Dig" — an area known
to contain a tremendous number of fossils. As park law enforcement
personnel were responding, the pair returned to their vehicle and left
the area. Ranger Shannon Wojtowicz stopped the vehicle just as it was
about to leave the park. FTEP ranger trainee Steve Rooker and other
personnel quickly arrived on scene and began the investigation. Rangers
found that the pair had collected more than 70 fossil specimens over the
course of an hour's time, including teeth and jaw fragments, and that
they had also taken a number of minerals and bones. Illegal drugs were
also found and confiscated. Federal charges were filed against
them.
[Submitted by Mark Gorman, Acting Chief Ranger]
Blue Ridge Parkway
Fatal Motorcycle Accident
A 37-year-old man was heading north on the parkway near the Tanbark
Ridge overlook (MP 376.7) on the afternoon of June 26th when he drove
off the road and hit the guardrail, suffering severe trauma to his head
and chest. He was taken to Mission Hospital in Asheville, where he was
pronounced dead. Rangers Tim Francis and John Anthony responded; Anthony
lead the investigation. Buncombe County EMS also
responded.
[Submitted by Chief Rangers Office]
FIRE MANAGEMENT
NIFC/NPS Fire and Aviation Management
National Fire Situation Highlights — Tuesday, July 13, 2004
Preparedness Level 3
Initial attack was moderate in southern California and light elsewhere yesterday. A total of 216 new fires were reported.
Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.
Warnings and Watches
A RED FLAG WARNING has been posted for isolated to scattered thunderstorms on the lower east slopes of the Cascades in Washington.
NPS Incidents
{||inc|http://inside.nps.gov/fire/includes/bill_table.cfm||}
For additional information on these fires, go to the NPS Fire News link at bottom.
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.
|
State |
Agency |
Team |
IC |
Fire and Location |
7/12 |
7/13 |
% Con |
Est Con |
|
AK |
State |
1 |
Hart |
Boundary Fire, Fairbanks Area |
339,400 |
346,150 |
20 |
UNK |
|
WA |
USFS |
1 |
Lohrey |
Pot Peak Fire, Okanogan-Wenatchee NF |
9,000 |
9,175 |
65 |
UNK |
|
AZ |
USFS |
1 |
Oltrogge |
Nuttall Complex, Coronado NF |
29,200 |
29,390 |
75 |
UNK |
|
| ||||||||
|
AK |
State |
2 |
Kurth |
Taylor Complex, Tok Area Forestry |
565,693 |
650,502 |
NR |
8/1 |
|
CA |
State |
2 |
McCormick |
Verbenia Fire, Riverside Unit |
---- |
4,000 |
25 |
NR |
|
NV |
BLM |
2 |
Muir |
Chrome Fire, Ely Field Office |
4,500 |
4,500 |
90 |
7/13 |
|
CO |
BLM |
2 |
Mullenix |
Saddle Mountain Fire, Delta County |
301 |
301 |
70 |
7/14 |
|
AZ |
USFS |
2 |
Philbin |
Willow Fire, Tonto NF |
119,500 |
119,500 |
95 |
7/13 |
|
AK |
State |
2 |
Stegmier |
Camp Creek Fire, Fairbanks Area |
132,422 |
133,222 |
67 |
7/31 |
|
AK |
BLM |
FU |
Bird |
Solstice Complex, Upper Yukon Zone |
396,711 |
396,711 |
5 |
UNK |
|
AK |
BLM |
FU |
Cones |
Eagle Complex, Upper Yukon Zone |
471,898 |
472,939 |
NR |
UNK |
|
CO |
BLM |
FU |
Weldon |
Oil Springs Fire, White River Field Office |
1,500 |
760 |
N/A |
N/A |
National Resource Commitments
| Day |
Fri |
Sat |
Sun |
Mon |
Tue |
Wed |
Thu |
|
Date |
7/7 |
7/8 |
7/9 |
7/10 |
7/11 |
7/12 |
7/13 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Crews |
158 |
165 |
175 |
180 |
166 |
147 |
211 |
|
Engines |
208 |
217 |
240 |
200 |
190 |
231 |
435 |
|
Helicopters |
71 |
80 |
79 |
78 |
71 |
81 |
94 |
|
Air Tankers |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
Overhead |
1,611 |
1,842 |
1,766 |
1,783 |
1,732 |
1,748 |
1,838 |
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
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Acadia National Park (ME)
Detail for Commissioned Ranger
The Division of Resource and Visitor Protection is looking for a commissioned law enforcement ranger (permanent or seasonal) to fill a 60-day detail. The detail will start as soon as possible and end in mid-September. The park will consider partial details of no less than 30 days. Acadia National Park will pay salary and travel as appropriate.
This is a field road patrol position on Mount Desert Island based at headquarters. Shared housing is available. Rangers must have supervisory approval to be considered.
Contact Mike Wilson (207-288-8774) or Kevin Cochary (207-288-8771) if you are interested or have any questions.
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.