1/9/17 & 1/10/17 Black Hills National Forest Pile Burning Information

• Bearlodge fire is burning piles 10 miles south east of Sundance, WY today, 1/9/17.

Hill City, SD; January 9, 2017 – Forest Managers are continuing to reduce hazardous fuels across the Black Hills National Forest.

Starting tomorrow & continuing through the week, Mystic fire will be burning piles located 1/2 - 1 mile west of Hill City, SD.

Smoke will be visible and may impact local communities, including Hill City, SD. Smoldering material may continue to burn days after burning operations are completed and firefighters will monitor and check the piles for several days after they have been lit.

Piles are created from timber sale slash and tree thinning operations.

Officials appreciate the support from local communities and said that reducing fuels this time of year makes fire suppression operations safer during the summer months.

Burning operations will continue across the Black Hills National Forest this winter as conditions permit.

Public safety and firefighter safety are the top priority when considering any prescribed burn operation on the landscape.

For pile burning notifications, sign up at http://gpfireinfo.blogspot.com/.

For more information on the Black Hills National Forest, visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/blackhills.