The park received a report of a man over the edge at Pipe Creek Vista on the South Rim early on Tuesday afternoon. Witnesses told arriving rangers that they'd seen a man fall over the edge. They were unable to see anything from the rim, so rappelled down and found the man's body 600 feet below. The body was recovered and transferred to the county medical examiner. An investigation into the death is underway.
[Submitted by Shannan Marcak, Public Affairs Specialist]


Saguaro National Park (AZ)
German Visitor Dies While Hiking In Park

On Monday afternoon, a 35-year-old visitor from Germany was hiking on the Hugh Norris Trail with a partner, also from Germany, when she collapsed. Her partner attempted to revive her with water, but was unsuccessful. He then ran down the trail to his vehicle and drove to the visitor center to report the incident. A ranger and personnel from Picture Rocks Fire Department responded. When they got to the woman's location, they found that she had expired. Investigation revealed that the couple had headed out for Wesson Peak at 7 a.m. and reached the summit just before 11 a.m. While on the return trip, she told her partner that she was not feeling well. Shortly thereafter, she collapsed and became unconscious. Neither was carrying a cell phone and help was not readily available. The temperature high for Tucson that day was 105 degrees. The Pima County Sheriff's Department is leading the investigation.
[Submitted by Robert Stinson, Acting Chief Ranger]


Zion National Park (UT)
Classic Car Consumed In Fire In Tunnel

A 1964 Cobra sports car valued at $800,000 was completely consumed in a fire in the Zion Mount Carmel tunnel on the afternoon of Monday, May 21st. The fire was reported to the park just after 5 p.m. and the park's structural fire engine company responded along with the Springdale/Rockville fire department and two wildland fire engines. A Type Six engine with a 250 gallon tank and a pump capacity of 150 gallons per minute entered the tunnel with two firefighters wearing SCBAs.  A second Type Six engine, two Type One engines, and the wildland engines provided backup for the initial attack engine. Firefighters with the initial attack engine were able to successfully contain and extinguish the fully engulfed sports car. The two occupants of the car had found relatively safe refuge in two of the tunnel's gallery windows. All other vehicles and people exited the tunnel prior to initial attack efforts. The two occupants were transported by ambulance to a local hospital. The tunnel and road were closed for two-and-a-half hours. The insurance value of the sports car was reported to be $800,000. Construction of the tunnel, which is just over a mile long, began in the late 1920's and was completed in 1930. At the time the tunnel was dedicated, it was the longest tunnel of its type in the United States. In addition to concerns with the potential for multiple vehicles and people trapped inside the tunnel, responders were aware that wooden timbers provide structural support and prevent rock fall in the interior of the tunnel.  The NPS engine company conducts yearly training sessions in the tunnel and had determined that a smaller engine would provide better access and egress from the tunnel in the event of a vehicle fire. Firefighters were also aware that afternoon winds would likely vent smoke away from them as they approached. A protective coating along the walls in the area of the fire protected the tunnel's wood timbers.
[Submitted by Ray O'Neil, Incident Commander]


FIRE MANAGEMENT

National Fire Activity - Preparedness Level 2

NIFC is at PL 2. Initial attack was light on Wednesday; four new large fires were reported.

Fire Weather Forecast

Strong winds and low relative humidity will continue to produce critical fire weather conditions across much of western New Mexico, Arizona, southern Nevada and parts of far eastern California. A stationary front associated with a broad upper trough over the West will stretch from northern California to northern New Mexico and north toward Wisconsin. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will develop over the Northwest, the northern Rockies, the central Plains and western Great Lakes region. Southerly flow will continue to warm the eastern third of the U.S. In Alaska, scattered thunderstorms will develop from the Gulf coast to the central and eastern Interior while showers move across the north.

To see a NOAA map of today's critical fire weather areas, click on this link: http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/fire_wx/fwdy1.html

Fire Summary (Five Day Trend)

Day	Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu
Date	5/20	5/21	5/22	5/23	5/24
Initial Attack Fires	66	108	139	165	105
New Large Fires	0	0	2	4	4
Large Fires Contained	2	1	3	2	1
Uncontained Large Fires	11	9	8	10	12

National Resource Commitments (Five Day Trend)

Day	Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu
Date	5/20	5/21	5/22	5/23	5/24
Area Command Teams	0	0	0	0	0
NIMO Teams	0	0	0	0	0
Type 1 Teams	1	1	1	1	1
Type 2 Teams	5	4	3	3	3

NPS Fire Summaries

Park	State	Fire	Type	Acres	Percent Contain	Est. Full Contain
Wrangell - St Elias National Park & Preserve	AK	Backcountry Cabin Debris Piles Burn	Prescribed Fire Treatment			May 25, 2012
	Latest Narrative: Fire manangement staff will burn piles of debris consisting of trees and brush from May 22nd-May 25th. The pile burn locations are near NPS structures at the Chisana airstrip, Klawasi & Big Bend Lake cabins. The burn piles are a result of a hazardous fuels treatment project that occurred on the properties during the summer of 2011.

Further details have been submitted on these NPS-related fires:

Baldy/Whitewater Fires, Gila Cliff Dwellings NM - Smoke plumes from the Baldy and Whitewater Fires west and northwest of the park are developing and joining by mid-morning each day and turning the skies dark with reds and browns. Their appearance and evening ash falls as the plumes collapse are causing visitors to ask about fire safety and raising health concerns with those with breathing problems. The two fires joined Wednesday afternoon into the Whitewater/Baldy Complex in large part due to winds gusting over 30 mile per hour and relative humidity in the low single digits. The entire northern half of the Gila Wilderness will be closed today, with the monument on the extreme northern boundary of the open areas. No official reports were available late Wednesday, but the two fires probably have a combined area over 25,000 acres. [Steve Riley, Superintendent]

For additional information on all fires, check the following web sites:

• Archived fire news - http://www.nps.gov/applications/fire/public/pub_firenews.cfm?orderby=DateToShow&archive=true
• Map of fire locations - http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/lg_fire2.php
• Details on all current major fires - http://www.nifc.gov/nicc/sitreprt.pdf
• Fire news and fire year in perspective - http://www.nifc.gov/fireInfo/nfn.htm
• InsideNPS Fire and Aviation - http://inside.nps.gov/fire
• InsideNPS Structural Fire - http://inside.nps.gov/fire/structuralfire
• NPS Fire and Aviation - http://www.nps.gov/fire

Apostle Islands has issued an announcement for a chief ranger.

Click on the link below for a copy of the announcement with full details on duties and procedures for applying.

For more information regarding the location and duties, contact either Superintendent Bob Krumenaker (715-779-3398 ext 101) or Acting Superintendent Myra Foster (715-779-3398 ext 301).

It closes on June 8th.
 More Information...


Denver Service Center
Lori Irish Selected As DSC Chief Of Contracting Services

Denver Service Center has selected Lori Irish as its new chief of contracting services. She has been a government acquisition professional for more than 20 years and has worked in DSC's Contracting Services Division since 2001.  Irish begins her new position on June 3rd.

"Lori Irish's proven leadership ability and professionalism are an asset to Denver Service Center," said Sam Whittington, DSC's director.  "Her understanding and commitment to the DSC team philosophy will contribute to the future success of DSC contracting and project management."

Irish began her career with the U.S. Navy as a procurement clerk. While there she worked as a purchasing agent, procurement analyst, and contract specialist acquiring supplies and services supporting both the Pearl Harbor Naval Base and the fleet, and later environmental remediation services for various sites within the Pacific Basin.

Irish joined Denver Service Center in September 2001 as a contract specialist and then became a contracting officer for both the East and West Teams before becoming the branch chief for the Central and West Teams in 2009.

"I am looking forward to the challenges of this new position," said Irish.  "My vision is to lead our already professional staff into the future of NPS acquisition while maintaining excellent customer satisfaction."

Irish holds a bachelor's degree in professional studies/business administration from the University of Hawaii. She lives in the Denver area and has two adult daughters and a stepson. Irish considers herself a "foodie" and loves to eat.  She also enjoys exercising, mostly so she can continue to enjoy her first hobby.
[Submitted by Lindy Allen, lindy_allen@nps.gov, (303) 969-2588]


Southeast Region
Nina Kelson Named Regional Manager Of The Year

Nina Kelson, deputy superintendent at Gulf Islands National Seashore, was recently named Southeast Region's manager of the year for her sustained quality of management. The award recognizes outstanding resilient and innovative leadership, partnership building, and active mentorship of the next generation of leaders.

"Nina has been a star in the Southeast Region for many years," said Regional Director David Vela. "She has been a steady hand at Gulf Islands National Seashore through some of the most difficult times a park can face. In the last few years she managed numerous hurricane evacuations, and she was the acting park superintendent during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Throughout all these crises, Nina's sound leadership and wise decision-making enabled her staff to react positively to all the challenges they faced."

"In conducting her daily work Nina always maintains totally open and honest communications with employees, the public and the news media," said Superintendent Dan Brown. "Her integrity has always been beyond reproach and she is highly respected by everyone who has come in contact with her."

Nina was instrumental in facilitating some major park accomplishments. She was directly involved in securing support for the Fort Pickens passenger ferry service, the reconstruction of important park infrastructure following hurricanes, and the development of a new general management plan.

Nina will retire from the National Park Service on June 1st after 30 years of service, 27 of which were at Gulf Islands.
[Submitted by Marianne Mills, marianne_mills@nps.gov, (404) 507-5613]