INCIDENTS

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Yellowstone National Park (ID,MT,WY)
Fire Averted in Mammoth Hotel

The Mammoth Fire Company was notified of smoke on the second floor of the Mammoth Hotel around 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 14th. Gardiner VFD was called to provide mutual aid assistance. Upon arrival, firefighters found hotel guests evacuating, but neither smoke nor flames were immediately visible. They searched the hotel and discovered smoke issuing from two adjoining rooms on the second floor that are used for office space. A trash can used for a paper shredder was smoldering and was removed from the building. Pressure blowers were then employed to clear the smoke from the second floor. Guests were allowed to return to the first and third floors while the smoke was cleared. After the smoke was cleared, firefighters found a liquid on the desk in one of the rooms which smelled like diesel fuel. SA Dan Kirchner and chief Britton Gray are investigating this suspicious fire and working in consultation with a Park County fire investigator. Responding to the fire were two engines and eight firefighters from Mammoth and one engine and five firefighters from Gardiner. The staff at the hotel did an outstanding job in assisting these departments.
[Submitted by Britton Gray, Structural Fire Chief]

Boston National Historical Park (MA)
NPS Continues To Provide Support for Convention Events

The heavy rain forecast for yesterday missed Boston, but the weather continues to be unseasonably cool and unsettled. The large multi-agency law enforcement presence has discouraged major disruptions of scheduled events thus far. On Tuesday evening, rangers and Park Police officers responded to an intelligence report that indicated demonstrators were planning to congregate at the Paul Revere House and cause unspecified damage. Twenty-five NPS LE personnel were deployed at the site for several hours.  Later in the evening, a group of 20 individuals on bicycles arrived near the site and departed after observing the police presence.  Throughout the evening, small groups of demonstrators were present in the area between Faneuil Hall and the Fleet Center, where the convention is taking place. There were no other incidents at park sites. National Park Service law enforcement personnel also provided coverage at the Abiel Smith School in Boston African American NHS; no incidents were reported. Yesterday, Adams NHP and Boston NHP offered a presentation entitled "Wounds of a Friend: The Private Conversations Between the Adamses and Thomas Jefferson" at the Old South Meeting House. In full 18th-century attire, Adams NHP ranger Karen Yourell and supervisory park ranger John Stanwich portrayed Abigail Adams and Thomas Jefferson in a living history presentation based on the actual correspondence between the two. At the request of the Secret Service, NPS LE personnel provided security for the arrival in Boston of Senator John Kerry. After touching down at Boston's Logan International Airport, Senator Kerry boarded a boat for the short trip to the Charlestown Navy Yard for a "Welcome Home, John Kerry" political rally at Pier 4, outside the boundary of Boston NHP. CNN covered the arrival of Senator Kerry from the fantail of the retired World War II destroyer USS Cassin Young as his boat cruised in front of USS Constitution. MSNBC host Chris Matthews continues to broadcast live from Faneuil Hall Marketplace. National Park Service interpretive rangers are providing visitor information both inside Faneuil Hall and outside in the marketplace. There has been continued interest by the media on the impact of the convention on Boston's historic sites. 

[Submitted by Sean Hennessy, Public Affairs Specialist]

Kenai Fjords National Park (AK)
Tour Boat Accident in Resurrection Bay

On the afternoon of Sunday, July 25th, the Star of the Northwest, a 100-foot tour vessel with approximately 160 persons on board, began taking on water in the Eldorado Narrows area of Resurrection Bay south of Seward. Initial indications are that the vessel struck a submerged rock that breached multiple compartments. A may day call was issued, and approximately 30 local vessels responded, along with USCG small boats and aircraft. The passengers were safely evacuated to another large tour vessel, and multiple dewatering pumps were utilized to keep the vessel afloat until it could be towed back into dry dock in Seward.  National Park Service interpretive ranger Kimberly Finch and intern Lauren Wahl were aboard the vessel as part of an agreement in which the company, Major Marine Tours, pays the costs of NPS rangers aboard each of their tour boats throughout the summer season.  Finch and Wahl assisted crew members in managing and safely offloading passengers without injury. A couple who had been aboard the boat came into the park visitor center after the incident and wanted to make sure we knew how much Finch had added to their experience. In their words, "She really made the trip exceptional, not just through her narration but in her demeanor.  She was the last person to get off the boat onto the other boat. A real example of what you would expect a ranger to be."  The incident received extensive local media coverage.
[Submitted by Jim Ireland, Chief Ranger]

Grand Canyon National Park (AZ)
Ranger Saves Life of Visitor

On July 13th, ranger/EMT Ivan Kassovic, stationed at Phantom Ranch, was called to assist with an unconscious 55 year-old female visitor. He found the woman to be unresponsive, barely breathing and in a position of unbendable flexion. Attempting to correct her breathing, he found her jaw to be clenched and was able to attain only a marginal airway. Shortly thereafter, the patient stopped breathing altogether and vomited. The park's helicopter was unavailable, so an alternate hospital-based ship was called. Kassovic was able to secure a marginal airway and began artificial ventilations with a bag-valve-mask. The inbound helicopter crew was unfamiliar with the landing zones in the area, which forced the ranger, who was working alone, to simultaneously direct the flight to a safe landing while treating the patient. Arriving advanced life support personnel were able to gain a good airway following chemical paralysis and intubation of the patient. The woman had hiked to the bottom of the canyon from the North Rim for her wedding, which was to be conducted at Phantom Ranch.  During the 15-hour hike, she became severely hyponatremic (low on salt).  She was transported to Flagstaff Medical Center, where she remained comatose and on a ventilator for most of the week. At the time of the report (July 22nd), she had been discharged from the hospital with an excellent prognosis.  Alternate wedding planning is expected to resume in the near future.
[Submitted by Marc Yeston, Backcountry Supervisor]

Rocky Mountain National Park (CO)
Life Saved with AED

On the afternoon of July 14th, a 58-year-old visitor from Texas was hiking the Huffer's Hill trail near Fall River Pass on Trail Ridge Road (elevation 11,800 feet) when he began experiencing chest pain. He was assisted to the nearby Alpine Visitor Center, where ranger-EMT's from both the protection and interpretive staff began caring for him. The man went into cardiac arrest and was shocked with a park AED that is maintained at this high altitude visitor center, at which time pulse and respirations were restored.  Additional advanced life support care was provided by responding paramedics from the Estes Park Medical Center Ambulance. The patient was flown from the scene via air ambulance helicopter to a hospital in Ft. Collins, Colorado.
[Submitted by Mark Magnuson, Chief Ranger]

Biscayne National Park (FL)
Rescue of Severely Injured Visitor

Rangers received a call on July 18th, reporting that visitor R.F. had dived into a two feet of water off a popular sand bar and had been injured. Off-duty firefighters witnessed the accident. Rangers Jason Marsh and Tom Rutledge found that R.F. had no feeling in his legs or arms. They put him on a backboard and provided oxygen, then took him to Elliott Key for pickup by Miami Dade Air Rescue. A boat escort was provided to assure calm water. Doctors found that R.F. had suffered a dislocated cervical vertebra. The surgery was successful, and R.F. is expected to fully recover. Rangers had recently completed training in water rescue, which facilitated the rescue. Doctors later said that R.F. would have died without prompt and correct action.

 
[Submitted by Holly Rife, Chief Ranger]

Buffalo National River (AR)
Teenager Stabbed

During the early morning hours of July 22nd, rangers were dispatched to a stabbing incident at a remote, backcountry campsite along the river in the Upper District. The victim was 19-year-old J.P.F. of Green Forest, Arkansas. J.P.F.'s group had used a cell phone to call 911 for assistance. Initial reports indicated that J.P.F. was bleeding heavily from the abdomen. The 911 dispatcher had already requested a medevac helicopter to search an eight-mile stretch of river corridor between Pruitt and Hasty, as the reporting party was unsure of the group's exact location. They were asked to build a large campfire in order to be spotted from the air, but there were pockets of thick fog along the river bottoms. The helicopter spotted the group after about an hour of searching. Meanwhile, local first responders, paramedics, and rangers attempted to hike in to the victim using the helicopter for direction. J.P.F. was given emergency treatment and was being loaded in the helicopter just as ground searchers arrived in the area. He was flown to St. John's Regional Medical Center in Springfield, Missouri, where emergency surgery was conducted to close a large knife wound that had penetrated his stomach. He is expected to survive. Rangers have recovered the knife and interviewed a suspect and witnesses who were part of the group. Midwest Region special agents are assisting by interviewing the victim at the hospital. The 24-year-old suspect has been charged with providing alcohol to minors. Assault charges are pending.
[Submitted by Bob Howard, District Ranger, Upper District]

Yosemite National Park (CA)
Rescue of Injured Climber

A.S., 27,  and A.B., 28, both from New York City, were climbing the Northwest Books route on Lembert Dome around 5:30 p.m. on July 15th when A.S., who was leading the third pitch, fell about 20 feet, struck his head and was knocked unconscious. A.B. lowered A.S. to the belay ledge, where he regained consciousness. A.B. yelled for help and some nearby climbers reported the accident. Tuolumne SAR team members climbed the route and treated A.S. A.B. was lowered off the cliff. It was after dark when A.S. was placed in a litter and lowered 325 feet, with team member Janet Harrington, a registered nurse, attending. Portable spotlights were used to illuminate the wall during the lowering. When they were off the cliff, A.S. was carried to the road, then transported by ambulance to the Mammoth Lakes Hospital. He was treated for a concussion, a fractured forearm, and a strained neck.
[Submitted by George Paiva, Tuolumne SAR Coordinator]

Grand Teton National Park (WY)
Rangers Rescue Two Concession Employees

On Saturday, July 24th, rangers responded to a cell phone call from a hiker in Avalanche Canyon who was requesting assistance for a friend who had become stranded on a steep, 200-foot rock wall with a 40-foot overhang below. O.L., 19, of Shorewood, Wisconsin, and C.C., 20, from Liberty, Missouri — both employees of the Grand Teton Lodge Company — were hiking off trail in lower Avalanche Canyon and decided to climb up out of the canyon to attempt to reach the top of a steep, rocky ridge on the north side. O.L. became stuck on the steep rock face and was unable to either ascend or descend safely. C.C. placed a cell phone call to rangers at 3:30 p.m. requesting assistance; she was unsure whether O.L. had fallen and was not in verbal contact with him. Due to the complex terrain in lower Avalanche Canyon, the inability to pinpoint O.L.'s exact location, and the fact that he might have fallen and been injured, rangers requested the assistance of the park's contract helicopter. The helicopter flew aerial reconnaissance and was able to quickly locate the party at 4:25 p.m. The helicopter dropped four rangers off at Lake Taminah, the nearest possible landing zone; they hiked down the canyon, then ascended to a point just above where O.L. was stuck and rappelled approximately 200 feet down to him. Rangers then lowered O.L. 100 feet into a nearby gully, where he could walk out safely. Rangers escorted O.L. and C.C. by headlamp out of the canyon, reaching the trailhead at 10:30 p.m. This marks the seventh major search and rescue effort in the park this year.
[Submitted by Jackie Skaggs, Public Information Specialist]

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site (KY)
Recovery from Wind Storm Damage

The park is recovering from major storm damage inflicted when a severe thunderstorm with hurricane-force winds passed through the park on the evening of Tuesday, July 13th.  The park was closed due to loss of power and telephone service until the afternoon  of Saturday, July 17th.  Numerous trees were uprooted and limbs and debris scattered throughout the park, forcing the closure of the Birthplace Unit until the afternoon of the 17th, when only the visitor center, memorial building and grounds were reopened. The visitor center roof was damaged and park features suffered minor damage from downed limbs and trees.  Fortunately, the park had a contract with a local tree service, which assisted with the cleanup effort beginning on July 14th.  The removal of debris and downed trees from the grounds and trails was continuing at the time of the report (July 23rd). Approximately 35 trees are still down across trails, with over 15 on the grounds.  Major park trails will be closed for the foreseeable future due to the large number of uprooted and downed trees. Cleanup and repairs will be ongoing within the coming weeks. 
[Submitted by Ken Apschnikat, Superintendent]

Natchez Trace Parkway (AL,MS,TN)
Accident with Fatality, Serious Injury

On Friday, June 18th, rangers responded to a report of a single motor vehicle accident at milepost 341 in Lauderdale County, Alabama. The driver was traveling north and left the northbound road shoulder and struck an uprooted tree. The passenger was pronounced dead at the scene; the driver was transported to a local hospital.  Alcohol is believed to have been a contributing factor. An investigation was begun to identify the driver and the passenger and to determine their citizenship status. The driver was subsequently identified as B.D.C. and the passenger as A.N.G.-R., both from Guatemala. B.D.C. was arrested on a warrant charging him with manslaughter and is currently being held in the Lauderdale County Jail. The state and U.S. Attorney's Office are evaluating prosecution and deportation related issues. Numerous agencies have assisted in the investigation, including the Alabama Highway Patrol, Lauderdale County, INS, the State Department, and the Guatemalan Consulate.  District ranger Calvin Farmer and ranger JJ Montgomery are the case rangers.
[Submitted by Charles Cuvelier, Chief Ranger]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

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NIFC/NPS Fire and Aviation Management
National Fire Situation Highlights — Thursday, July 29, 2004

Preparedness Level 3

NIFC reports that 156 new fires were caught by initial attack, which was light everywhere but in northern California, and that three escaped and became large fires.

Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Alaska, Arizona, California, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington.

Weather Forecast

Northwest flow will continue for another day across the Northern Rockies. A few disturbances in the flow will continue to produce showers and thunderstorms from central Wyoming southward into New Mexico. West of this area, conditions will be dry and warm especially across California and the Northwest. In Alaska, low pressure will continue to bring beneficial showers and higher humidity.

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

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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	7/28	7/29	% Con	Est Con
AK	State	1	Anderson	Boundary Fire, Fairbanks Area	498,075	503,362	30	UNK
WA	USFS	1	Lohrey	Pot Peak Complex, Okanogan-Wenatchee NF	15,386	15,790	50	UNK
NV	USFS	1	Sexton	Robbers Fire, Humboldt-Toiyabe NF	1,500	290	40	7/30
AK	State	2	Bateman	Taylor Complex, Tok Area Forestry	865,430	865,430	15	UNK
WA	State	2	Berndt/ Andring	Lauderdale Fire, DNR/Southeast	250	250	100	CND
AK	BLM	2	Furlong/ Gormley *	Central Complex, Upper Yukon Zone	252,700	258,700	0	UNK
CA	USFS	2	Jameson/ Szczepanik	Sims Fire, Six Rivers NF	---	2,000	0	UNK
OR	BIA	2	West	Log Springs Fire, Warm Springs Agency	4,575	7,500	30	UNK
WA	USFS	FU	Bonefeld #	Rattlesnake Peak Fire, Okanogan-Wenatchee NF	---	200	0	UNK
CA	NPS	FU	Cook	Meadow Complex, Yosemite NP	4,815	5,176	N/A	N/A
MN	NPS	FU	Hall	Section 33 Fire, Voyageurs NP	675	675	N/A	N/A

* Transfer to Type 3 IMT today.

# On order.

National Resource Commitments

Day	Fri	Sat	Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu
Date	7/23	7/24	7/25	7/26	7/27	7/28	7/29
Crews	230	216	--	212	243	270	267
Engines	384	269	--	357	428	385	396
Helicopters	82	79	--	103	89	99	102
Air Tankers	0	0	--	1	0	0	1
Overhead	1,734	1,850	--	1,495	1,701	1,720	979

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

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Big Cypress National Preserve (FL)
GS-0404-06/07 Biological Science Technician

Dates: 07/28/2004 - 08/09/2004

Big Cypress National Preserve is recruiting for a full-time, permanent Biological Science Technician (Wildlife), GS-0404-06/07.  The announcement is open government-wide and closes August 9, 2004. 

Incumbent will assist the Florida panther capture team as a tree climber and in monitoring panthers through aerial telemetry which involves frequent flying in small fixed wing aircraft.  Other monitored species include the red-cockaded woodpecker, manatee and white-tailed deer.  Incumbent will assist wildlife biologists by applying basic field techniques such as survey work, population status monitoring and data entry.  Position is 50% field duty and 50% office duty.

The announcement number is BICY-04-25 and can be found on USAJobs, www.usajobs.opm.gov

For additional information, contact Edie Sparks, Human Resources Specialist, at 239-695-1127.

 
[Submitted by Edie Sparks, edie_sparks, 239-695-1127]

Vicksburg National Military Park (MS)
Monika Mayr Named Superintendent

Monika Mayr, a longtime National Park Service (NPS) manager who has worked in south Florida, Tennessee and Washington, D.C., has been selected as the new superintendent of Vicksburg National Military Park in Mississippi.

NPS Southeast Regional Director Patricia Hooks said Mayr will assume her new post as head of the 105-year-old Civil War park in late September, succeeding William O. Nichols, who retired as Vicksburg superintendent last year. The military park memorializes a 47-day siege in l863 that ended in the surrender of the city to the Union Army, giving the North control of the Mississippi River.

Mayr has been assistant superintendent of Biscayne National Park in Miami for nearly seven years, and for more than three years before that was top manager of the Obed Wild and Scenic River in Wartburg, Tenn.

"Ms. Mayr has faced a variety of management challenges during her career and brings a lot of experience and knowledge to her new assignment," Regional Director Hooks said. "She will fit in well with the community and the staff at Vicksburg."

A magna cum laude graduate from Virginia Tech with a bachelor's degree in parks and recreation management, Mayr worked briefly for the Fairfax County Park Authority in Falls Church, Va., before launching her Park Service career in Washington, D.C. She served as a contract specialist for the National Capital Region for 10 years, where she was involved with renovation projects at the White House, the Vice President's residence and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

In 1994, Mayr transferred to Tennessee to head the Obed Wild and Scenic River, then moved to Miami in 1998 to be assistant superintendent of Biscayne National Park. During her time at those two areas, she took the lead on a number of controversial environmental issues and was in charge of day-to-day park operations.

In her new job, Mayr will head a 40-member staff that oversees the 1,736-acre national military park as well as a 116-acre national cemetery with 18,244 interments. The park also includes a display of the Civil War ironclad gunboat, USS Cairo.

Of her new assignment, Mayr said, "I am thrilled about this opportunity to be part of a community that is drenched in history and to work with a dedicated staff toward preserving and interpreting an important chapter of our national heritage."

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.