Update for Tuesday, Oct. 10 at 4:15 PM
Ignitions were successful and objectives were met on the Anti-horse Prescribed Burn today. Firefighters will continue to closely monitor the burn area until it is determined extinguished. Smoke will continue to be visible in the area for several days. Ignitions are complete and additional burning will not take place tomorrow.
Update for Tuesday, Oct. 10 at 9:00 AM
The Hell Canyon Ranger District successfully conducted a prescribed burn yesterday and will continue burning an estimated 1,600 acres today. The project area is located approximately 18 miles west of Custer, SD or 2 miles northwest of Jewel Cave National Monument.
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| Photo taken from Boles Canyon and Highway 16. Photo credit: Todd Hoover, Black Hills National Forest. |
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| Photo credit: Todd Hoover, Black Hills National Forest |
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| Photo credit: Todd Hoover, Black Hills National Forest |
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| Photo credit: Todd Hoover, Black Hills National Forest |
Custer, S.D., Oct. 6, 2023 – The Hell Canyon Ranger District on the Black Hills National Forest is planning to continue broadcast burning the Anti-horse prescribed fire project October 9-11, 2023, weather dependent. The purpose of the project is to reduce hazardous fuels on National Forest System (NFS) lands.
The Anti-horse project area is located approximately 18 miles west of Custer, SD or 2 miles northwest of Jewel Cave National Monument. The current unit includes Dead Horse Flats and Dead Horse Spring. We are asking forest visitors and hunters to avoid the area during this time. Smoke will be visible for several miles and poor visibility could impact Highway 16 west of Custer.
Crews have been preparing perimeter lines on this project for the past few years so fire equipment and personnel can safely implement the project to meet land management objectives. Reducing future fire intensity by consuming left over dead and down material from the Jasper fire in 2000 is a primary goal of the prescribed fire. “By removing these fuels, wildfires will not burn as aggressively in a treated area,” said Todd Hoover, Hell Canyon Fire Management Officer, Black Hills National Forest. “This gives firefighters increased suppression opportunities to safely and effectively engage a wildfire incident.”
Prescribed fire decreases surface fuel loading and is a key component to protecting nearby private property and homes, and to aid fire suppression, tactics, and strategies in the event of an unplanned wildland fire. Prescribed fire also encourages new growth in forage for wildlife and cattle, maintains many plant and animal species whose habitats depend on periodic fire, minimizes the spread of pest insects, removes unwanted species that threaten species native to an ecosystem and recycles nutrients back to the soil.
Prescribed fire specialists compare current and predicted environmental conditions to those outlined in burn plans before deciding whether to burn on a given day. Burn plans include 21 separate elements including Goals & Objectives, Prescription (weather and fire behavior), Holding plans, and Contingency planning. A prescribed burn will not be ignited unless the conditions meet the criteria described in the burn plan.
For more information on the Black Hills National Forest, visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/blackhills.
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