October 5th, 2024

Cathedral Fire 

UPDATE from Custer State Park (10-5-24)

We're Back Open! 

Thanks to the incredible efforts of our wildland firefighters and local emergency management teams, the fire spread was kept to a small area. 

As of October 5, 2024, the following areas are back open: 

-Needles Highway 
-Sylvan Lake
-Cathedral Spires
-Trails 9 and 4

Please note that Little Devils Tower Trail will remain closed for the next several days. We ask visitors to please honor that closure and stay off the trail. 

Thank you for everyone's understanding and support for Custer State Park. 

Silica Mine Fire

Reported: October 5th, 10:01 am

Location: 4 miles southwest of Deerfield lake 

Size: 0.1 acres

Resources: Federal

Status: Contained

Cause: Human

Silver Mountain Fire October 4, 2024 Update

Overnight, firefighters staffed and patrolled the line to ensure the fire did not cross the established boundary.  Containment has been increased to 75% and the size remains at 22 acres.  

Today, firefighters will continue to strengthen control lines and mop-up near the fire's edge.  Mopping up makes a fire safer by extinguishing or removing burning and hazardous material within or close to the fire’s edge. Mop-up is hard, dirty, and tedious work that includes looking for smokes or hot spots in what otherwise looks like a cold area, and then extinguishing them.      

Firefighters mop-up by dousing any remaining flames or embers and removing burning material near the control lines.  They stir and drown any hot areas that are still smoking.  Snags or trees may be felled because of fire inside their trunk or danger of falling.  Logs may be trenched to prevent rolling, particularly rolling outside the fire control lines.  This job requires firefighters to venture some 100-300 feet inside control lines to attack any remaining hot spots.     This work starts as soon as possible after control lines are built and eventually progresses all the way around a fire’s perimeter. The fire is not out completely until mop-up is done and the fire’s outer edge is cold to the touch – firefighters literally feel the ashes with their bare hands to ensure all heat is gone. Mop-up can last for days after the last active flame along the control line has been extinguished. Stumps can burn for a long time. A single, undetected, burning ember could rekindle the fire and wipe out all previous firefighting efforts.

The National Weather US National Weather Service Rapid City South Dakota has issued a Red Flag Warning for today through Saturday.  With winds 15 to 30 mph and gusts up to 45 mph this afternoon paired with minimum relative humidity 10-20%, we're urging the public to be extremely careful with all ignition sources.  

October 4th, 2024

Cathedral Fire

Reported: October 4th, 3:05 pm

Location: 6 Miles northwest of Custer, SD 

Size: 0.45 acres

Resources: Federal, State, Local

Status: Contained

Cause: Unknown

For more information on closings at Custer State Park please contact Visitor Services Coordinator Lydia Austin at (406)291-7117 

October 3, 2024 - Silver Mountain Fire Update

 

Black Hills National Forest
Forest Service News Release
Media Contact: Scott Jacobson, Public Affairs Officer
(605) 440-1409
scott.j.jacobson@usda.gov 

Silver Mountain Fire Update

October 3, 2024 – The Silver Mountain Fire was reported at 11:15am located approximately 1 mile west of Rockerville, SD. The fire is currently estimated at 15-20 acres with federal, state, and local firefighters responding. Multiple air resources are aiding ground crews with suppression efforts to stop forward progression and establish a perimeter around the fire. Firefighter and public safety continue to be a top priority.

Pennington County Emergency Management and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office have issued an official pre-evacuation notification to residents impacted by the Silver Mountain Fire. Silver Mountain Road is currently closed. Please avoid the area to allow firefighters to continue suppression efforts.

Critical fire weather today continues to impact the Black Hills area with temperatures in the 60s and low relative humidity. A fire weather watch has been issued for tomorrow with breezy winds sustained at 10-20mph, and gusts up to 30mph expected. With continued critical fire weather across the area, Forest officials are asking the public to be extremely careful on the Forest with ignitions.

For more information, please visit the Silver Mountain Fire Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/silvermountainfire2024/

Public safety information can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/RCPCEmgMgmt

 

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October 3rd, 2024

Song Fire

Reported: October 3rd, 3:03 pm

Location: 5 Miles northwest of Hot Springs, SD

Size: 0.25 acres

Resources: Federal, State, Local

Land Ownership: Private

Status: Contained

Cause: Under Investigation

Silver Mountain Fire

Reported: October 3rd, 11:15 am

Location:  Approximately 1 mile southwest of Rockerville, SD near Silver Mountain Road

Size: 15-20 acres

Resources: Federal, State, Local

Land Ownership: Forest Service

Status: 

Cause: Under Investigation

For more information about the fire, follow our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/silvermountainfire2024/

or contact us at: (605)390-2057