Custer, SD; December 16, 2016 – Custer State Park
personnel will begin burning piles starting Friday, December 16 to help reduce hazardous fuel throughout the
park.
Starting today and continuing throughout the winter, Custer
State Park staff will be burning piles as long as conditions allow. This
weekend pile burning will occur in the northwest area of the park to the north
and west of Mount Coolidge, along American Center Road, and along Needles
Highway.
Custer State Park will be working to burn both machine slash
piles and hand piles. The piles are created from the left-over non-merchantable
material generated by timber sales and from small tree thinning projects
designed to reduce fuel loading and fire risk.
“By removing these piles we reduce fuel build up which can in
turn can assist with reducing larger fire hazards in the park.” states Rochelle
Plocek, fire forester.
Smoke will be visible and may impact local communities surrounding
Custer State Park for the next several months. Piles can be expected to
continue burning for days after ignition operations are completed. Firefighters
will continually check and mop-up the piles until they are out.
Pile burning operations will continue throughout the winter as conditions
allow.
For
more pile burning information check the Custer State Park Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CusterStatePark/ or
contact the Park Office at 605-255-4800.