Tuesday, January 31, 2023

January 31, 2023 - Pile Burning

 Black Hills National Forest

  • Bearlodge fire crews will be burning piles in the Coil project area starting today, 1/31/23. If everything goes as planned there should only be one day of ignitions. Smoke will be visible from Sundance, WY and I-90. Piles are approximately 4 miles west of Cement Ridge Lookout.
  • Northern Hills fire will be burning piles located off of Box Elder Forks Road in Nemo, SD for the next two weeks as conditions permit. They will also be burning one pile located on Forest service road 134.2A behind the Spearfish work center today, 1/31/23.
  • Mystic fire (central hills) will continue burning slash piles in the Whitetail, Buck, and Silver Lyons project areas this week as conditions permit. These areas are located southeast of Black Fox campground & northwest of Deerfield Reservoir.
Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands
  • Pine Ridge fire crews will be burning piles in the Collins unit starting today, 1/31/23 and anticipate finishing tomorrow.  Due to the wildfires of 2006 and 2012 there have been multiple machine piles that were made to help eliminate a lot of the hazardous fuel loading on the ground.  These piles cause problems during wildfire season with suppression difficulties due to fuel loading.  Also a lot of hazard fuel reduction/understory on timber projects prior to timber sales have been completed and machine piles/hand piles being made to reduce this fuel loading.  Smoke will be visible in the area and firefighters will continue to monitor until extinguished.  
South Dakota Wildland Fire
  • The Rapid City District Office is burning approximately 50 acres of slash piles 3 miles southeast of Piedmont, SD.  Smoke will be visible in the area and firefighters will continue to monitor until extinguished.