Yellowstone National Park (ID,MT,WY)
Mud Slide Closes East Entrance
A mud slide caused by heavy rains Sunday evening forced the temporary
closure of the East Entrance into the park. Mud from six inches to as
much as four feet deep covers a section of the road from east of Cub
Creek to an area seven miles from the park's east boundary. Three
vehicles were trapped by the slides. No one was hurt. Rangers freed the
16 occupants and their vehicles and took them to Pahaska Teepee. The
road is temporarily closed at the East Entrance Station and at the
Pelican Creek barricade just east of Fishing Bridge. The extent of road
damage is unknown. Park staff will evaluate the damage this
morning.
[Submitted by Public Affairs]
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (AZ,UT)
Power Outage Strands Hundreds of Visitors
The Dangling Rope Marina lost power around 10:30 a.m. on Monday, July
5th. The outage affected the entire marina and developed area. The
marina, accessible only by water, is a very popular refueling and supply
stop for visitors boating on Lake Powell, and is a necessary fuel stop
for the numerous day-use visitors traveling over 50 lake miles to
Rainbow Bridge National Monument. The electrical power failure resulted
in all water, sewer, communication, fire suppression and fuel delivery
systems being shut down. Since gasoline couldn't be dispensed, well over
400 people in approximately 100 boats were left stranded without gas on
the last day of the major holiday weekend. Many visitors were unable to
return to their camping sites. Day use visitors not prepared for an
overnight trip had special needs, such as food, water, shelter,
medication and health concerns. The daytime temperature was over 100
degrees, with limited shade on the docks. Families with children or
elderly were especially susceptible to the heat. At times, nearly 50
boats per hour were entering the marina in search of fuel and/or
supplies. Some of the visitors with special needs abandoned their boats
to be evacuated in concession tour boats. Due to limited docking space,
others had to leave the marina area and were forced to camp along the
nearby shoreline to await the return of services. The park put ICS into
effect to manage the evacuation of those visitors requesting same and to
provide logistical support to meet the needs of visitors and personnel
working to re-establish electrical power to resolve the crisis. A
self-contained generator system, potable water tanks and portable vault
toilets were ordered from St. George, Utah — an effort that
entailed transporting equipment and technical specialists by truck,
barge and helicopter to the site. Several rental houseboats were
chartered and docked at the marina to provide temporary accommodations,
shelter and comfort stations for visitors. The marina concessionaire,
unable to maintain refrigerated perishables, supplied meals at no cost
to the stranded visitors. Rangers, park volunteers, concession employees
and maintenance personnel spent two days and nights aiding visitors
during this incident. During the evening of July 6th, NPS personnel and
a private electrical contractor located and repaired a break in the
three-quarter-mile long underground power line. Electrical service
was restored to the fuel docks, but other concession services remained
closed until supplies were restocked later in the week.
[Submitted by
Steve Luckesen, District Ranger, Uplake District/Incident Commander]
Gateway National Recreation Area
Coastguardsman Charged With Attempted Murder
On July 17th, rangers Rob Louden and Deb Flowers responded to a
reported domestic dispute in the Coast Guard housing area in the park's
Sandy Hook Unit. An ongoing verbal altercation had become physical, with
petty officer J.C. making three attempts to strangle his wife
using a telephone cord and curtain ties. J.C. was placed under
arrest. Rangers Anthony Macri and Peter Tortorell arrived on scene
shortly therafter and conducted an investigation with the assistance of
a Highlands PD detective. J.C. has been charged with attempted
murder and is being held in the county jail on $250,000
bail.
[Submitted by Tadgh McNamee, Chief Ranger]
Yellowstone National Park (ID,MT,WY)
Bison Harassment Conviction
On the evening of July 4th, ranger Steve Roper investigated a report
of a Jeep CJ-5 being driven recklessly in the Lake Hotel area. He found
the Jeep and its two occupants — C.G. and B.M.
— standing right next to it directly behind the ranger
station. The two men were waving their arms at a visibly agitated
three-quarter-ton bison. Investigation — along with videotape
provided by visitors — showed that they'd spent some time harassing
the bison, then cornered it in a group of trees. Both men showed strong
signs of intoxication and were arrested. Numerous rangers had to assist
both at the scene and at the Yellowstone jail, as the two men were
uncooperative, resisted arrested, kicked and spat on the arrest cage,
and made threats against rangers during the 50-mile trip to the jail. On
July 6th, both pled guilty to all criminal counts filed against them in
magistrate's court. C.G. pled guilty to unlawfully approaching
wildlife, driving under the influence, possession of an opened
container, driving off road, public intoxication, and criminal damage;
he was assessed $1,410 in fines and restitution, placed on two years'
probation, given a 60-day suspended jail sentence, and banned from the
park for three years. B.M. pled guilty to unlawfully approaching
wildlife, possession of controlled substances, resisting/interfering,
criminal damage and public intoxication; he was assessed $1,310 in fines
and restitution, placed on two years' probation, given a 60-day
suspended jail sentence, and banned from the park for three years. Each
man also spent 36 hours in jail.
[Submitted by Brian Smith,
Supervisory Special Agent]
Rocky Mountain National Park (CO)
Search for Missing Park Volunteer
On July 8th, long-time park volunteer W.T, 80, went hiking
on his own time near Estes Cone, an area and trail that he was very
familiar with and had visited many times over the years. When he failed
to return to his vehicle, a hasty search was begun by rangers.
Information obtained from other hikers suggested that W.T. had likely
left the designated trail and was traveling in steep, rugged terrain.
Search efforts were escalated; by early evening, more than 40 people and
three dog teams were committed to the operation. Confinement was
established around the search area through the night while searchers
continued to look for him. Trackers from the Larimer County SAR team
picked up signs near a trail switchback around
6 a.m. the next morning that led searchers to W.T. He had
missed the switchback and become disoriented in the steep, forested
terrain. After being treated by a park medic for minor injuries and
dehydration, W.T. was raised via litter up steep terrain to the trail,
then taken to a waiting ambulance. He was hospitalized for several days.
Also assisting in the operation was the Larimer County Sheriff's
Department's Office of Emergency Services and the Arapahoe Rescue
Patrol. This was the fifth search in the park over a two-day period.
[Submitted by Mark Magnuson, Chief Ranger]
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (PA)
Man Drowns in River After Jumping from Bridge Abutment
Y.C., 22, of North Bergen, New Jersey, was killed on the
morning of Saturday, July 17th, when he jumped from an abandoned
railroad abutment into the Delaware River. Y.C. and four companions
had been swimming in the river near the old Karamac railroad bridge on
the New Jersey side of the river. According to his companions, who
witnessed the accident, Y.C. climbed to the top of the abutment and
jumped into the river. He surfaced once and appeared to be having
difficulty swimming. One of his friends jumped into the water and
attempted to swim to him, but Y.C. disappeared before he could get
there. The park's dive team responded immediately and recovered the body
from about 12 feet of water. State park rangers from Worthington State
Forest assisted in the search and recovery effort. The cause of death is
presumed to be drowning. According to his companions, Y.C. had been to
the area many times previously and made the jump from top of the
abutment, which is about 50 feet above the river. Alcohol may have been
involved. This was the park's first water-related fatality this
summer.
[Submitted by Doyle Nelson, Deputy Superintendent]
Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River (NY,PA)
Drowning in Butler's Rift Rapid
L.L., 52, and his 13-year-old son were paddling a rental
kayak through Butlers Rift rapid on the afternoon of July 10th when they
capsized. L.L.'s son was able to swim to the New York shoreline,
but he went under. Bystanders, including a physician, assisted with
rescue and resuscitation efforts, which proved unsuccessful. Both father
and son were wearing life jackets at the time of the accident. Rangers
and state troopers are investigating.
[Submitted by Al Henry, Chief
of Protection]
FIRE MANAGEMENT
NIFC/NPS Fire and Aviation Management
National Fire Situation Highlights — Monday, July 19, 2004
Preparedness Level 3
Initial attack was moderate yesterday in the eastern Great Basin, Northwest and southern California. A total of 264 new fires were reported. Only two — one in the Southwest and one in southern California — became large fires.
Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
Warnings and Watches
No warnings or watches have been issued for today.
NPS Fires
For a brief supplemental narrative on each fire, click on the bar with the arrow. Internal NPS readers can link directly to full reports on each fire by clicking on the notepad icon; public readers of the Morning Report can obtain similar information by going to http://www.nps.gov/fire/news
{||inc|http://data2.itc.nps.gov/fire/includes/bill_table.cfm||}
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 |
7/16 |
7/19 |
% Con |
Est Con |
|
WA |
USFS |
1 |
Bennett |
Icicle Fire, Okanogan/Wenatchee NF |
--- |
606 |
10 |
UNK |
|
CA |
State |
1 |
Cable |
Foothill Fire, Los Angeles County |
--- |
4,207 |
37 |
UNK |
|
CA |
State |
1 |
Gelobter |
Pine Fire, Los Angeles County |
10,290 |
17,418 |
80 |
7/23 |
|
AK |
State |
1 |
Hart |
Boundary Fire, Fairbanks Area |
379,760 |
473,300 |
18 |
UNK |
|
NV |
USFS |
1 |
Martin |
Waterfall Fire, Humboldt-Toiyabe NF |
8,500 |
7,600 |
95 |
7/20 |
|
ID |
USFS |
2 |
Brunner |
Cabin Creek Fire, Salmon Challis NF |
--- |
600 |
64 |
7/22 |
|
AK |
BLM |
2 |
Chrisman |
Central Complex, Upper Yukon Zone |
160,000 |
170,000 |
0 |
UNK |
|
AK |
State |
2 |
Goheen |
Chicken Complex, Tok Area Forestry |
--- |
389,933 |
NR |
UNK |
|
AK |
State |
2 |
Kurth |
Taylor Complex, Tok Area Forestry |
777,977 |
440,611 |
NR |
8/3 |
|
WA |
USFS |
2 |
Johnson * |
Pot Peak Fire, Okanogan-Wenatchee NF |
11,000 |
11,675 |
68 |
UNK |
|
AZ |
USFS |
2 |
Philbin |
Willow Fire, Tonto NF |
119,500 |
119,500 |
98 |
UNK |
|
ID |
USFS |
2 |
Suwyn |
Dollar Fire, Boise NF |
350 |
782 |
35 |
7/24 |
|
AK |
BLM |
FU |
Bird |
Solstice Complex, Upper Yukon Zone |
502,951 |
547,351 |
5 |
UNK |
|
AK |
BLM |
FU |
Cones |
Eagle Complex, Upper Yukon Zone |
574,707 |
614,154 |
NR |
UNK |
|
CA |
NPS |
FU |
Cook |
Meadow Fire, Yosemite NP |
3,000 |
3,727 |
N/A |
11/1 |
* Washington Interagency IMT
National Resource Commitments
| Day |
Tue |
Wed |
Thu |
Fri |
Sat |
Sun |
Mon |
|
Date |
7/13 |
7/14 |
7/15 |
7/16 |
7/17 |
7/18 |
7/19 |
|
|
|
|
|
| |||
|
Crews |
211 |
237 |
274 |
279 |
257 |
284 |
301 |
|
Engines |
435 |
497 |
459 |
520 |
609 |
644 |
653 |
|
Helicopters |
94 |
102 |
114 |
128 |
115 |
124 |
125 |
|
Air Tankers |
2 |
2 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
|
Overhead |
1,838 |
1,932 |
1,901 |
2,066 |
2,221 |
2,237 |
2,234 |
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
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.