The Helpline Center and Great Plains Fire Information Provide Area Fire Alert Messaging

Subscribe by texting 'GPFire' to 85511

Rapid City, SD – Great Plains Fire Information, comprised of the Black Hills National Forest, Nebraska National Forest and Grasslands and South Dakota Wildland Fire Division, continue to partner with the Helpline Center to notify the public of significant fire activity within the Great Plains geographical area (Black Hills and surrounding areas) using text messaging.

Notification text will be sent to those who subscribe on significant fire activity, including wildland and prescribed fires within the Great Plains Dispatch Zone.

To subscribe, text ‘GPFire’ to 85511. Text ‘STOP’ to cancel at any time.

“Almost everyone has a phone that can receive a text and this gives us another avenue we can reach people with critical fire alerts and messaging,” said Scott Jacobson, Black Hills National Forest Public Affairs Officer.

For more information on Great Plains Fire Information, visit http://gpfireinfo.blogspot.com/.

2-27-18 Pile Burning

US Forest Service

• Mystic fire on the Black Hills National Forest will be burning hand piles located northeast of the junction of Victoria Lake Road and FSR 150 around Commissary Point. Areas impacted by smoke may include: Whispering Pines, West Rapid City, Victoria Lake Road, Sheridan Lake Road, Hwy 16, Hwy 385 and Hwy 44. 

2-23-18 Pile Burning

US Forest Service

• Mystic fire will be igniting machine piles in the North Canyon/McGee area. Smoke will be visible for a few days from Rapid City, SD, Sheridan Lake Road, Hwy 44 around Dark Canyon and Johnson Siding.
• Mystic fire will be burning hand piles tomorrow, 2/24/18, located off Hwy 244. Smoke will be visible from Hwy 244, Hwy 16, Hwy 87 and Hill City. Mystic fire will also be burning hand piles ½ mile east of Hill City and south of Old Hill City Road. Smoke may impact the communities of Hill city and/or Keystone. It may also impact Old Hill City Road, Highway 16, 16A, 385 and 244. 

(Pile burning by Blackhawk - photo by Marci Tubbs, South Dakota Department of Agriculture)

2-22-18 Pile Burning

Black Hills National Forest fire crews continue to take advantage of the snow cover by burning piles throughout the forest.   Significant burning activity will be occurring around Johnson Siding and the Blackhawk, Summerset and Piedmont areas.

2-21-18 Pile Burning

US Forest Service

• Mystic fire will be igniting machine piles located northwest of Johnson Siding. Smoke will be visible for a few days and can be seen from Johnson Siding, Bogus Jim, Norris Peak Rd, Merritt, Hwy 44 and Nemo Rd.

• Hell Canyon will be burning about 5 small hand piles 5 miles south/east of Custer. They will burn approximately 10 piles off of Glen Erin Road, 4 miles south/east of Custer and also in the area south of Mayo Road, approximately 5 miles southwest of Custer, SD.

• Hell Canyon will also be burning small hand piles about 1 mile southwest of Mount Rushmore and approximately 10 hand piles in the Sunday Gulch Summer homes area, about 1 mile north/west of Sylvan Lake.

• Bearlodge fire will be burning north and east of Sheepnose Mountain, with additional piles near Fawn Creek, east of Cook lake.

Pile Burning Feb 20, 2018

US Forest Service

• Mystic Ranger District fire crews will be burning machine piles 1 mile west of the town of Blackhawk, SD if conditions allow. Smoke and flames may be visible from the following areas. Blackhawk, Interstate 90, Peaceful Pines area, Woodland Drive area, High Meadows area Canyon Place, and Nemo road. Smoke will be in the area for the following days after ignition.

• Mystic fire is also planning to burn hand piles located northeast of the junction of Victoria lake road and FSR 163, around Commissary Point. Areas affected may include Whispering Pines, West Rapid City, Victoria Lake Road, Sheridan Lake Road, Hwy 16, Hwy 385. Smoke may affect the areas for several days. 

• Three machine piles will be burned by Mystic fire at Sheridan Lake Road and the Taylor Ranch Road intersection. Smoke will be visible from the Sheridan Lake Road, Hwy 385, Three Forks and the Hill City area.

• Hell Canyon Ranger District fire crews will be burning large machine piles off of Glen Erin Road 4 miles South East of Custer. Other piles will be burned in the area South of Mayo Road approximately 5 miles South West of Custer.

• Northern Hills fire is burning south and southwest of Nemo, SD. Some of the piles are located along Nemo Road (west side).

2-16-18 Pile Burning

Black Hills National Forest Hell Canyon fire will be lighting machine piles approximately 3-4 miles west of Custer, SD today and will also be burning 5 hand piles in the Camp Remington area.

2-14-18 Pile Burning

Black Hills National Forest:

• Bearlodge fire is burning hand piles produced from a rain-catch/water development enclosure maintenance project, approximately 2 miles North of Sundance, WY. 

• Northern Hills is burning on both sides Hwy 85 by Preacher Smith Monument, burning hand piles located by Mount Roosevelt Tower and burning by Crow Peak Bench (smoke will be visible from Spearfish, SD and I-90).

2-12-18 Pile Burning

Black Hills National Forest pile burning info:

• Hell Canyon fire burning piles approximately 5 miles west of Custer, SD in the Upper French Creek area and large machine piles 4 miles south and west of Custer. They will continue burning through the week, weather depending. 

• Mystic fire will continue to burn hand piles in Sunny Side Gulch by Silver City and piles on the west side of Hwy 385 and south of FSR 672. Smoke may impact the communities of Silver City and may also impact Silver City Road, Jenny Gulch and Highway 385. Crews will continue to burn as conditions allow.

2-9-18 Pile Burning

• Black Hills National Forest Hell Canyon fire is burning piles on the east side of Buckhorn Mountain and south of Custer, SD in the Carrol Creek area today and tomorrow. 

• Mystic fire is burning machine piles around the Tigerville area, 5 miles west of Hill City, SD. Smoke and flames may be visible from Deerfield Road, Mystic Road, Tigerville, Newton Fork Road and Hill City.
• South Dakota Wildland Fire and South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks is burning slash piles near Nemo in Lawrence County and in Custer State Park.

Updated pile burning locations can also be found on the Great Plains Dispatch website:  https://gacc.nifc.gov/rmcc/dispatch_centers/r2gpc/gpcrxrpt.pdf  

2-7-18 Pile Burning

• Black Hills National Forest Hell Canyon will be burning in two areas today. They will continue burning 4 miles south of Custer and will also be burning in the Vestal area located 3 miles north of Custer, SD. 

• Northern Hills fire is burning east and west of Rochford, SD today (Dump Draw and Bloody Gulch).

2-6-18 Pile Burning

• Black Hills National Forest Hell Canyon fire will be burning around 150 piles, 4 miles south of Custer, SD today, 2/6/18.

2-5-2018 Pile Burning

South Dakota Wildland Fire will be burning slash piles today in the following locations:

• The Black Hat Handcrew is burning at Homestead Drive in Custer (city property, underneath the water tower) today- approximately 650 piles.
• The Bear Mountain Handcrew is burning at Boulder Canyon in Sturgis today- approximately 300 piles.

Crews will continue to monitor piles throughout the week.  

The Black Hills National Forest continues to burn piles across the Forest.

Mystic Ranger District (central Black Hills):

• Burning machine piles 3 miles west of Red Rock Subdivision if conditions allow. Smoke and flames may be visible from the following areas: Sheridan lake road west of countryside subdivision, Red Rocks, Dark Canyon Road off Hwy 44, Nordsmen Road, Victoria Lake Road and Hisega. Smoke will be in the area for several days after Ignition.

• Burning machine piles around the Tigerville area 5 miles west of Hill city. Smoke and flames may be visible from Deerfield road, Mystic road, Tigerville, Newton Fork Road and Hill City.

Northern Hills Ranger District:

• Burning machine piles on both sides of Nemo Road and Lucky Strike (southward).

Hell Canyon Ranger District:

• Burning 2 large piles east of Custer, SD on American Center Road.

Bearlodge Ranger District:

• Burning piles at Cook Lake Campground, 13 miles North of Sundance, WY. Piles are part of a fuels project in campground Loop B, just North/Northwest of the main lake/dam.

2-3-18 Pile Burning

Black Hills National Forest Mystic fire is planning to burn hand piles this weekend (2/3/18-2/4/18), continuing into next week, within a ½ mile of Silver City, in and around the Sunnyside Gulch area. Smoke may impact the communities of Silver City and it may also impact Silver City Road, Jenny Gulch and Highway 385. Smoke may be in the area for several days.