Rankin Fire Update
September 16, 2017 – 8:30 am
Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team Black
Shane Greer, Incident Commander
Information Center: (605) 574-1725
Email: RankinFireInfo@gmail.com
Hours of Operation: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Note: This will be the final update for the Rankin Fire from Rocky Mountain Team Black. At 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 16, command of the fire has transitioned back to Wind Cave National Park. Information will continue to be posted on InciWeb (https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/
Current Situation: The Rankin Fire is now 100 percent contained. There has been no growth of the fire for two days, and the size remains 2,133 acres. The fire area received 0.3” of rain on Friday. The completion of burnout operations coupled with the expected weather change have reduced the fire’s threat potential.
Weather: A much cooler air mass will push over the fire area Friday night and Saturday with scattered showers tapering off.
Closures: All trails north of and including Wind Cave Canyon Trail remain closed.
Fire Statistics:
Start Date: 09/11/2017
Location: 12 miles Southeast of Custer, SD
Cause: Lightning
Size: 2,133 acres
Containment:100%
For More Information:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
Rankin Fire Update
September 15, 2017 – 10:00 am
Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team Black
Shane Greer, Incident Commander
Information Center: (605) 574-1725
Email: RankinFireInfo@gmail.com
Hours of Operation: 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Current Situation: Fire crews continue to make good progress on containment of the Rankin Fire and the fire is now 90% contained. There was no new growth of the fire yesterday however the acreage did increase to 2,133 acres due to better mapping. On Friday, crews will continue to improve containment lines and mop up the few remaining hot spots. Fire behavior is expected to be minimal due to the cooler temperatures and rain.
As fire containment objectives are met, firefighting resources are being released and made available for other fires.
Weather: Temperatures will be cooler with a highs around 62-64 degrees. Light rain is expected to continue until noon with showers becoming more scattered in the afternoon. Winds will be north to northeast at 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 22 mph.
Safety: Travelers along US Highway 385 and State Route 87 through the park are encouraged to use caution as fire traffic will continue to be heavy along this corridor at times.
Closures: All trails north of and including Wind Cave Canyon Trail are closed for firefighter and visitor safety. NPS 5 is now open.
Fire Statistics:
Start Date: 09/11/2017
Location: 12 miles Southeast of Custer, SD
Cause: Lightning
Size: 2,133 acres
Containment: 90%
Personnel: 202
For More Information:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
Info Line: (605) 574-1725
Email: rankinfireinfo@gmail.com
Rankin Fire Update 09/14/2017
September 14, 2017 -- 4:00 pm
All fire information updates for the Rankin Fire will now be posted only on InciWeb https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5613/# and Wind Cave National Park's FaceBook site https://www.facebook.com/WindCaveNPS
Rankin Fire Update 09/14/2017
September 14, 2017 – 12:00 pm
Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team Black
Shane Greer, Incident Commander
Information Center: (605) 574-1725
Email: RankinFireInfo@gmail.co
Hours of Operation: 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Current Situation: At 7:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 14, Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team Black assumed command of the Rankin Fire from a local Type 3 management team. The fire was first reported on Monday afternoon and was caused by a lightning strike in the northern part of Wind Cave National Park. Firefighters from multiple agencies have been working to contain the fire since Tuesday. On Wednesday night, crews were able to construct fire line and conduct a firing operation to get containment on the south portion of the fire.
On Thursday, crews will be patrolling the established containment lines and mopping up hot spots.
Weather: On Thursday, the temperature is again expected to be around 80 degrees with relative humidity around 20 to 25 percent. Winds will be north to northeast 5 to 8 for most of the day. Cloud cover will increase through the day and scattered thunderstorms may develop in the afternoon. Wetting rains are expected over the fire late Thursday into Friday.
Safety: Travelers along US Highway 385 and State Route 87 through the park are encouraged to use caution as fire traffic will continue to be heavy along this corridor at times. At times smoke will impact roads in the park and visitors are urged to slow down and use caution.
Closures: NPS 5, from the junction of State Route 87 to the junction of NPS 6, and all trails north of and including Wind Cave Canyon Trail are closed for firefighter and visitor safety.
Fire Statistics:
Start Date: 09/11/2017
Location: 12 miles Southeast of Custer, SD
Cause: Lightning
Size: 1192 acres
Containment: 90%
Containment: 90%
For More Information:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WindC
Wind Cave National Park News Release
Release
Date:
September 13, 2017
Crews Continue Efforts to Suppress Fire
Burning in Wind Cave National Park
WIND
CAVE NATIONAL PARK, SD – Firefighters continued their efforts to contain a
1,000 acre fire burning in the interior of Wind Cave National Park. The fire
started in the northern region of the park and has been burning to the south,
into the park, since it was first reported Monday afternoon. The fire is burning
in steep, rocky terrain east of Highway 87 and south of road NPS 5.
Crews Wednesday worked on line construction
to meet containment objectives on the east and west boundaries of the
fire. At this time, there is 0%
contained. Ground crews were aided with water drops from two heavy air tankers
and a South Dakota Air National Guard Black Hawk helicopter.
Due to the increased complexity of the fire,
a Type II incident management team is scheduled to assume management of the
fire Thursday morning. This team is bringing logistical support, overhead
resources, and additional hand crews.
Federal, state, and local crews assigned to
the fire are from the National Park Service, Black Hills National Forest, South
Dakota Division of Wildland Fire, Custer State Park, Nebraska National Forest,
South Dakota Department of Corrections, Wyoming Department of Corrections, Boxelder
Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center, South Dakota National Guard, the
Custer Ambulance Service, and various volunteer fire departments.
Currently
the only closures are the northern segment of NPS 5 and all backcountry hiking
trails north of Wind Cave Canyon. The park visitor center remains open with
cave tours leaving from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. throughout the day.
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| Photo Caption: Crews working the Rankin Fire were aided by water drops from a South Dakota National Guard Black Hawk helicopter. (NPS Photo) |
Wind Cave National Park News Release
Release
Date: September 12, 2017
Lightning Caused Fire Burning in Wind Cave
National Park
WIND
CAVE NATIONAL PARK, SD – Firefighters from multiple agencies are working to
contain a lightning caused fire in the northern part of Wind Cave National
Park. The fire, first reported Monday afternoon,
is burning east of Highway 87 and south of road NPS 5.
The fire is burning toward the south, in
steep, rocky terrain fueled by grass and timber. A Type III incident management
team is overseeing the work of approximately 85 firefighters and support staff.
Utilizing existing roads, trails, and a mow
line to aid line construction and to provide for firefighter safety, crews
Tuesday successfully conducted a burn-out operation. This operation increased
the size of the burn from 300 acres to around 500 acres. At this time, there is
no estimate of the amount contained or controlled.
“September and October are historically when we
have the biggest fires in the park,” said Park Superintendent Vidal Dávila. “We
encourage everyone to be extra cautious with their outdoor activities due to
the hot and dry conditions we are experiencing.”
Federal, state, and local crews assigned to
the fire are from the National Park Service, Black Hills National Forest, South
Dakota Division of Wildland Fire, Custer State Park, Argyle Fire Department,
Rapid City Fire Department, Nebraska National Forest, South Dakota Department
of Corrections, Wyoming Department of Corrections, Boxelder Job Corps Civilian
Conservation Center, and the Custer Ambulance Service.
Currently the only closures are the northern
segment of NPS 5 and all backcountry hiking trails north of Wind Cave Canyon.
The park visitor center remains open with cave tours leaving from 9 a.m. to
4:30 p.m. throughout the day.
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| Photo Caption: Crews are currently fighting the Rankin Fire in Wind Cave National Park. (NPS Photo) |
