3/30/21 Update
* Pennington County, 1 1/5 mile southwest of Keystone, federal land
* 90 acres
* Cause under investigation
* Fire head active; but general fire creeping and smoldering
* Mount Rushmore continues to be closed
* 244 Inciweb Link: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7355/
* This will be the FINAL post on this blog site for the 244 Fire. Please follow the Inciweb link (above) for further information
3/29/21
4:30 p.m. Update
Fire crews continue to fight the 244 Fire, 1.5 miles southwest of Keystone, SD. The fire is estimated at 75 acres. Many more resources have been ordered and are en-route.Mount Rushmore National Memorial and roads leading into the Memorial are closed until further notice. For further information on the Memorial, please contact Maureen McGee-Ballinger at 605-858-9790.
The road is also closed at Pennington & Custer County line off 16A (seasonal gates), north of Lakota Lake on Iron Mountain Road.
Fire officials again ask the public to stay out of the area for public and firefighter safety.
Cause of the fire remains unknown.
3 p.m. Update
Fire estimated at 40-50 acres.
The road is closed at Pennington & Custer County line off of 16A (seasonal gates).
12:30 p.m. Update
Fire crews are responding to a wildfire 1.5 miles southwest of Keystone, SD and is estimated to be 20 acres.Highway 244 is closed from Keystone to the stoplight at Mount Rushmore Memorial. 16A beginning at Grizzly Campground is also closed.
Fire officials are asking the public to stay out of the area for public and firefighter safety.
The fire is burning in heavy dead and downed timber with very high potential for spread due to very high winds. Cause of the fire is unknown.
