NPS Morning Report - Wednesday, July 31, 2002



                           NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                              MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Wednesday, July 31, 2002

INCIDENTS

02-001 - Rocky Mountain NP (CO) - Follow-up on Arson

In the early morning hours of January 1st, a ranger kiosk and an eight-seat
restroom burned to the ground at Bear Lake, causing over $300,000 in
damage. The facilities were at Bear Lake Road, a popular trailhead in the
heart of the park. About 700,000 people visit the area during an average
year. The facilities have been replaced by a temporary trailer and
port-a-potties this summer. Rangers and agents from the Denver and Fort
Collins FBI offices conducted the initial investigation, and were
subsequently supported by the Larimer County Sheriff's Office and Estes
Park Police Department. This multi-agency investigation ultimately lead to
the identification of three juvenile males - two from Estes Park and one
from Missouri - as suspects. All three confessed to the crime. Each was
sentenced to two years' probation and ordered to attend school as a
condition of the probation. They were also ordered to spend 30 days in a
juvenile detention facility and required to perform 120 hours of community
service. A restitution hearing is scheduled for August. [Joe Evans, CR,
ROMO]

02-342 - Delaware Water Gap NRA (NJ/PA) - Rescue

Eighteen-year-old C.S. of Randolph, New Jersey, fell about 80 feet
onto a rock ledge while rappelling from Mount Tamanny in the water gap just
above I-80 on the afternoon of July 24th. C.S.'s friend used his cell phone
to contact Monroe County Control. A multi-agency rescue was launched. One
lane of I-80 west was closed while the rescue was underway. The rescue team
rappelled to C.S., stabilized his injuries, and lowered him to the ground.
Because of the steep, difficult terrain and concerns for the safety of both
the victim and rescuers, the carryout took about six-and-a-half hours. C.S.
was flown to Morristown Hospital. It's not yet known what caused the fall.
The investigation continues. The top of Mount Tamanny is about 1,527 feet
above sea level and is a popular site for climbing and rappelling in the
park. [Brad Clawson, DR, New Jersey District, DEWA]

02-343 - Rocky Mountain NP (CO) - Rescue

On the afternoon of Sunday, July 21st, rangers received a report of a
seriously injured climber in the westernmost area of Lumpy Ridge, a popular
rock climbing area. A 32-year-old Loveland man had fallen nearly 100 feet
after leading a portion of a 5.11 climb on Sundance Buttress. According to
his climbing partner, the fall, which occurred at the top of the first
pitch, was caused by a communication breakdown between the two climbers. A
total of 30 people from the park's SAR team and Larimer County SAR provided
ALS and rescued the climber. The evacuation was over 1800 feet of scree and
rough terrain to a waiting medevac helicopter. The climber sustained
multiple spinal, internal and bilateral injuries to his lower legs. He was
flown to Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins. [Doug Ridley, ROMO]

02-344 - Glacier NP (MT) - Rescue; Near Drowning

A 38-year-old woman from Michigan was rescued from nearly drowning in
Virginia Falls on the afternoon of Sunday, July 21st. B.M. and her
husband R.M. were at Virginia Falls Bridge when she slipped and fell
about 15 feet into Virginia Creek. He dove into the water and rescued her.
B.M. had aspirated water and sustained bruises, a laceration to the back
of her head, and possible internal injuries. An off-duty paramedic hiking
the trail and other visitors provided first aid until a team of 14 park
employees arrived on scene about an hour later. Rangers administered
oxygen, provided cervical spine stabilization, and treated her for
hypothermia. B.M. was then evacuated by air to Kalispell Regional Medical
Center, where she was in critical condition at the time of the report
(Monday). The park has expressed its appreciation to the many visitors who
provided assistance during the incident. [Amy Vanderbilt, PAO, GLAC]

02-345 - Glacier NP (MT) - Search

A search was begun on July 24th for 17-year-old T.H. of Franklin,
Tennessee, who fell into Hudson Bay Creek above Red Eagle Lake on the
park's east side. He and other members of his Boy Scout troop were
exploring off-trail along the creek when the accident happened. Scouts who
were with T.H. saw him being swept down the creek and over a waterfall,
where he became lodged in a logjam in the 30-foot-deep whirlpool at the
base of the fall. Members of the group contacted a trail crew working
nearby; they in turn reported the incident to park headquarters. Efforts
were begun to dislodge the logjam from the point where he was last seen.
Mechanical winch and hoisting devices and explosives were successfully
employed to break up the jam. Rangers then began dragging the whirlpool,
but without success. Waters in the creek and the pool are very high due to
heavy runoff from melting snow, making diving too dangerous. The operation
has been scaled back, although the pool is being kept under surveillance.
[Amy Vanderbilt, PAO, GLAC]

02-346 - Valley Forge NHP (PA) - Serious Bicycle-Vehicle Accident

Rangers Charmeka Parker and Paula Rissell received and responded to an
accident in which a bicyclist was struck by a car on Wednesday, July 24th.
Upon arrival, they found bicyclist R.R. of Linwood lying on the
ground in the fetal position and determined that he was unconscious and
unresponsive. The rangers placed a life flight helicopter on standby and
attempted to stabilize R.R. while waiting for an ambulance to arrive. R.R.
was flown to the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, where doctors
determined that he'd sustained serious head injuries. He was listed in
critical condition at the time of the report last week. It appears that
R.R. failed to stop at a stop sign on the bike trail, but the investigation
continues. R.R. was wearing a helmet. [CRO, VAFO]

[Additional reports pending. . . . ]

FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Situation

Preparedness Level 5

Initial attack was again light nationwide yesterday. Of the 148 new fires
reported, three became project fires - one each in northern California, the
Rockies and the western Great Basin.

Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in 14 states: Arizona,
California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North
Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

A Geo-Seis Helicopters Aerospatial SA315B Lama helicopter crashed yesterday
while assigned to the Big Elk fire near Estes Park, Colorado. The pilot was
killed.

For a map showing the locations of current major fires , click on
http://www.nifc.gov/fireinfo/firemap.html ; for details on all major fires
currently burning, click on http://www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.pdf or
http://www.nifc.gov/fireinfo/nfn.html.

National Resource Commitments

                  Mon   Tue   Wed   Thu   Fri   Sat   Sun   Mon   Tue
Date              7/22  7/23  7/24  7/25  7/26  7/27  7/28  7/29  7/30

Crews             568   646   674   628   658   651   682   670   703
Engines           1,175 1,057 1,078 1,012 1,021 1,040 1,024 1,089 1,205
Helicopters       153   175   197   153   175   187   175   174   187
Air Tankers       13    13    15    10    10    10    4     13    12
Overhead          4,391 4,320 4,887 4,546 4,378 4,591 5,284 5,013 4,967
Area Commands     2     3     3     3     3     3     3     3     3
Type 1 IMT        10    11    10    9     6     6     9     9     9
Type 2 IMT        12    14    15    13    14    14    11    11    10
T1/T2 S/IMT *     4     4     3     4     4     3     3     5     4
Fire Use IMT            1     1     1     1     1     1     1     1     1

* Type 1 and Type 2 state incident management teams
# Information not available

National Fire Warnings and Watches

NIFC has issued:

•     A RED FLAG WARNING for strong northeast winds and low relative
humidity for southwest Oregon.
•     A RED FLAG WARNING for high winds for central and southern Wyoming.
•     A RED FLAG WARNING for gusty winds and low relative humidity for
south central and southeast Montana.
•     A FIRE WEATHER WATCH for high winds for southeast Wyoming.

Park Fire Situation

Mesa Verde NP - As of midday yesterday, the Long Mesa Fire had burned 2,077
acres (2,400 acres as of this morning) and was burning past headquarters
toward Cliff Palace and Balcony House. There were concerns that it might
drop down into Spruce Canyon, immediately to the east and below
headquarters, then burn back up into the headquarters area. Two buildings
have burned ? a duplex that provided housing for park staff and an
unoccupied house. No commercial property has been destroyed, as was
reported on the NICC report yesterday morning. The million-gallon park
water storage tank lost its roof, the sewage plant has burned, and the
plumbing shop in the maintenance area has burned. The lack of potable water
and water to fight the fires is a primary concern. All power and phones are
out to most of the mesa; cell and regular phone access is limited. Crews
were able to save the research area, the old research center, and the park
fire cache. Sisk's Type 2 team took over management of the fire yesterday
morning. Committed so far are two air tankers, three helicopters, twelve
engines, 30 NPS firefighters and a hotshot crew. More assistance was en
route to the park. Incident information is being handled by the park at
970-564-1624.

Redwood NP - The 33,287-acre Sour Biscuit Fire has burned into California.
A Type I  incident management team will assume complete control of the fire
within the next two days. The main part of the fire is four miles north of
Gasquet and seven miles northeast of Hiouchi. The latter is right on the
park's boundary. Residents there are on a 24-hour standby evacuation
notice, but the feeling is that it won't come to that. Holding actions are
being conducted using existing road systems, linked by bulldozed lines, and
there's a fairly high degree of confidence that the line will hold. The
weather is helping, as the humidity is going up. The park has only two
closures in effect. One is for a five-mile segment of trail near Hiouchi;
the other is for a visitor center on Route 199, which is closed from the
state line to Gasquet. It appears that 199 will reopen within a couple of
days.

El Malpais NP - The one-acre Lost Fire has now burned 55 acres and is being
managed for wildland fire use. Stage one of a wildland fire implementation
plan (WFIP) has been completed; stage two is being developed. The maximum
size is estimated at 3,000 acres. The area is surrounded by lava flows; the
fire is currently burning with lava on two sides. The fuel type is
ponderosa pine.

[NICC Incident Management Situation Report]

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Lava Beds NM (CA) ? The park is currently advertising for a supervisory
resource management specialist, GS-0401-11/12, or supervisory general
social scientist, GS-0101-11/12. The full performance level is GS-12. The
incumbent will serve as the chief of the Division of Resource Management,
with responsibilities for the development, management, and supervision of
the natural and cultural resource programs, including fire management.
She/he will be a key member of the parks management team. This position
promises to challenge and provide career-enhancing opportunities. USA
vacancy announcements PGSO-02-150-A and B will close on August 26th. For
more information, please contact superintendent Craig Dorman at
530-667-2282 ext. 222. [Mike Flanagan, LABE]

                               *  *  *  *  *

Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the cooperation
and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.

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