State of South Dakota Conducting a Prescribed Burn in Custer State Park

 For Immediate Release: Monday, January 29, 2024

Contact: Steve Long, 605.431.6886, South Dakota Wildland Fire Public Information Officer

  

 

Prescribed Burn at Custer State Park set for January 31

 

Rapid City, S.D. – South Dakota Wildland Fire is planning a prescribed burn near the intersection of Highway 16A and Wildlife Loop Road in coordination with Custer State Park on Wednesday January 31, 2024. Mop-up and monitoring will continue in the following days. If weather conditions are not favorable for any reason, the prescribed burn will be rescheduled.

 

Firefighters are planning to burn approximately 100 acres. Objectives of the burn are to increase the diversity of forage and habitat for wildlife, improve native grass growth, and provide safe and quality training for firefighting staff. Weather conditions will be monitored closely to ensure prescribed fire conditions align with management objectives for the burn.

 

Prescribed fire is used to maintain healthy native vegetation and is needed to prevent the encroachment of invasive species. Fire also reduces hazardous debris and dead vegetation buildup, which can fuel wildfires.

 

Smoke may be visible in the surrounding areas and can linger for several days after ignition. Fire crews will secure, patrol, and monitor fire lines as appropriate for public and firefighter safety. For more information on smoke management, click here.

 

Custer State Park will be open as usual, but visitors should expect delays near the prescribed burn area. For more information about park accessibility contact Lydia Austin, 605.394.2693, Custer State Park Visitor Services Manager.

January 24. 2024 - Pile Burning

  Black Hills National Forest

The Bearlodge Ranger District continues to burn piles from a past tornado on Moskee Road, to Forest Service Road (FSR) 875, to FSR 805 in the Smith Draw area for the next week, as conditions permit.

January 23, 2024 - Pile Burning

  Black Hills National Forest

The Bearlodge Ranger District is burning large machine piles approximately 2 miles east of Cook Lake area over the next week.  It has been determined that adequate snow cover is in place.  Firefighters will continue monitoring the area as appropriate.  

January 22, 2024 - Pile Burning

 Black Hills National Forest

The Bearlodge Ranger District is burning large machine piles west of the Bearlodge Ranch Road which is located approximately 7 miles Northwest of Sundance.  Piles will be burned throughout the week to minimize smoke impacts.  Smoke will be visible from Highway 14.  

January 18, 2024 - Pile Burning

 Black Hills National Forest

Northern Hills start ignitions on machine piles today, 1/18/24, on the east side of Hwy 385 and Benchmark Rd and also on the west side of Hwy 385 in the Roubaix Lake area with smoke expected to be visible from I-90.

Hell Canyon (southern hills) will continue burning approximately 100 machine piles, 11 miles southeast of Four Corners, WY and  5 miles southeast of Mallo Camp through tomorrow, 1/19/24.

January 17, 2024 - Pile Burning

 Bureau of Land Management

The South Dakota Field Office is burning hand piles near Nevada Gulch today in Lawrence County, 2 miles SW of Lead.

South Dakota Wildland Fire

Custer State Park is burning slash piles in Custer County approximately 8 miles NE of Custer.

January 16, 2024 - Pile Burning

 Black Hills National Forest

The Bearlodge Ranger District continues to burn piles from a past tornado even down Moskee Road, to Forest Service Road (FSR) 875, to FSR 805 in the Smith Draw area for the next two weeks, as conditions permit.

Bearlodge fire plans to ignite one pile today, 1/16/24, west of Bearlodge Ranch Road.  If consumption meets standards, the remaining piles will be burned 1/18. Smoke will be visible from Highway 14.

South Dakota Wildland Fire

The Rapid City District Office is burning hand piles on Pine Have Drive near Rockerville area for the next week, as conditions allow.

The Hot Springs District Office is burning hand piles north of Hot Springs in the Hot Brook Canyon area for the next four days.  

South Dakota Wildland Fire and South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks is burning piles in Custer State Park approximately 6 acres east of Custer near Legion Lake.  

Bureau of Land Management

The South Dakota Field Office is burning both hand and machine piles near Fort Meade Recreation Area today.

January 12, 2024 - Pile Burning

 Black Hills National Forest

Mystic fire (central hills) will be burning machine piles 2 miles south of Deerfield Reservoir and 11 miles NW of Hill City, SD for the next two weeks, as conditions allow. Smoke may be visible from Deerfield and surrounding areas.

North Zone fire will be burning piles in Spearfish Canyon over the next two weeks, as conditions permit. The piles are located east of the Spearfish Canyon Volunteer Fire Department along Highway 14A. Crews are working to reduce surface fuels from past tornado events in the Canyon, with particular attention to important values at risk (homes, watersheds, etc.).

January 11, 2024 - Pile Burning

 Black Hills National Forest

The Northern Hills Ranger District plans on burning piles over the next two weeks, dependent on conditions, west of Vanocker Canyon Road, north of Nemo Road, and approximately 3 miles NW of Nemo, SD.

Hell Canyon (southern hills) will be burning approximately 100 machine piles, 7 miles east of Four Corners, WY and 1 miles east of Mallo camp over the next four days.

Bearlodge fire (Sundance, WY) is continuing to burn piles from a past tornado event in the Smith Draw area of Wyoming. The piles are located off Moskee Road to Forest Service Road (FSR) 875 to FSR 805.

January 9, 2024 - Pile Burning

Black Hills National Forest

The Northern Hills Ranger District is planning to burn machine piles over the next 7 days, as conditions allow in the Pounder project area, located approximately 6 miles west of Sturgis and north of highway 14A.

Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands

Beginning Wednesday (1/10) and lasting through the week, the Pine Ridge Ranger District will be conducting prescribed burns on Forest Service land. Today, the burns will occur at the Pine Ridge Ranger District Work Center (located at 16524 Hwy 385, Chadron, NE) and near Camp Norwesca (south of Chadron State Park). Tomorrow, the burns will occur near West and East Ash roads and near Red Cloud Campground.

South Dakota Wildland Fire

Custer State Park, in collaboration with South Dakota Wildland Fire (SDWF), will be burning slash piles in the park this winter as long as conditions allow. The Park’s goal is to burn both large machine-made slash piles and smaller hand-built piles. Both the Park and SDWF will be providing personnel and equipment to conduct and monitor the burns throughout the winter.

The piles are created from left-over unsalable woody debris generated by timber sales and small tree thinning projects. The burns are designed to reduce the amount of fuel available for fires and to lessen the risk of fires starting or spreading. Piles can be expected to continue burning for days after ignited. Firefighters will continually monitor the piles until they are out.

For more information contact the Custer State Park Office at 605.394.2693 or by email at custerstatepark@state.sd.us.

January 8 & 9, 2024 - Pile Burning

 Black Hills National Forest

Over the next week, Bearlodge fire (located in Sundance, WY) will be burning piles on Fish Mountain. 

Bearlodge fire  will also be burning piles for the next several weeks to reduce surface fuels from a past tornado event. The piles are located off Moskee Road, Forest Service Road (FSR) 875, and FSR 805 in the Smith Draw area.

Northern Hills fire is igniting three small units of hand piles today, January 8, 2024. The piles are located south and west of Sturgis at the end of Deadman Road, east west of Lead Country Club off of Hanna Road, and 3 miles east of O’Neil Pass along Rapid Creek Road.

Starting tomorrow, 1/9/24, and over the next two weeks, conditions permitting, Northern Hills will also be burning piles located west of Vanocker Canyon Road and north of Cabin Springs Road.

Over the next two weeks, as conditions permit, Mystic fire (central hills) will be burning hand and machine piles off of Six Mile, 15 miles west of Hill City, SD; 8 miles west of Rapid City, SD along Brush Creek trail and Forest Service Road 772.1; and 3 miles Northwest of Hill City, SD.

January 4, 2024 - Pile Burning

 Black Hills National Forest

Starting Jan. 4, 2024, and continuing for up to two weeks (depending on conditions), North Zone fire is planning to burn piles north of Deadwood, SD off Mount Roosevelt Road (County Road 133), near Mount Roosevelt Friendship Tower and piles east of Vanocker Canyon near Wonderland Cave.

The Bearlodge Ranger District is planning to burn approximately 100 machine piles over the next two weeks, depending on snow conditions, approximately 15-20 miles SE of Sundance, WY.

January 3, 2023 - Pile Burning

Black Hills National Forest

Over the next 4 days, fire crews will be reducing hazardous fuels left over from forest thinning operations by burning piles on the Black Hills National Forest. Mystic Ranger District (central hills) will be burning piles along Bogus Jim Road. Smoke will be visible west of Rapid City, SD and east of Pactola Reservoir.

Northern Hills is burning 1 pile located in the admin site boneyard of the Spearfish Workcenter today, 1/3/24.

January 2, 2024

  Mile Marker 28 Fire

Reported: January 2, 2024 at 12:37 pm

Location:  Mile marker 28 on Highway 18 near Minnekahta

Resources: State and Federal

Size: 0.1 acre

Cause: Under Investigation

Status: Controlled

Bureau of Land Management Pile Burning

The Bureau of Land Management will begin burning slash piles this week in Lawrence County south of Lead.  Crews are igniting piles near the Yellow Creek shooting range off of Yellow Creek Road and off of the Nevada Gulch Road, roughly 1 mile west of Highway 85.  These piles are a byproduct of projects undertaken to reduce the threat of wildfire, improve wildlife habitat, and reduce the Pine beetle infestation.  Local authorities will be contacted by the BLM prior to any burning taking place.  Smoke will likely be visible and will be monitored to minimize impacts to sensitive areas.  For additional information, call the South Dakota Field Office at 605.892.7000.