The Black Hills National Forest conducted a 380-acre prescribed fire Wednesday through Friday of this week approximately 5 miles southwest of Rapid City, SD.
Today, Saturday March 6, a Red Flag Warning is in effect for the area.
“Warm temperatures and dry fuels, combined with very low humidity and gusty south to southwest winds, will result in extreme fire danger across the area,” the National Weather Service said in an advisory Saturday.
The forecast for Saturday predicts 17 to 24 mph winds out of the southeast and a minimum relative humidity of 11 percent. The strong winds are expected to continue Saturday night shifting to come from the west and then the northwest, with the RH ranging from 24 to 48 percent.
The photos below were posted by Great Plains Fire Information Friday March 5, 2021.
Sharing a clip of Victoria Rx happening this week SW of Rapid City, SD on the Black Hills National Forest. https://t.co/DbOYlmZDYY pic.twitter.com/frNS5Pmayd
— Black Hills NF (@BlackHillsNF) March 4, 2021
Black Hills forest management continues to lead the way with their spring prescribed (Rx) burning program of fuel reduction. We need so much more of this in the Western States! The key word being “spring” with largely avoidance of “fall” burning when fuel moisture contents are dangerously low and any burn can quickly get out of the prescription and turn into a wildfire.
This National Forest is a great model for the rest of the Forest Service, recognizing that the Southeast Region (8) has been doing like-wise for many decades.
The U.S. Congress, and the newly confirmed Secretary of Agriculture, need to “wake up” and take this problem of excessive fuel loading more seriously. Walk the talk! Make it happen. Get the bucks to the field and they’ll do the rest.