Containment grows on South Dakota wildfires that forced evacuations, Mount Rushmore s closure Staff and wire reports
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Firefighters continued to make progress Wednesday on containing wildfires in the Black Hills of South Dakota that earlier forced the evacuation of more than 400 homes, caused Mount Rushmore to close and prompted a state declaration of emergency.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem signed an executive order Tuesday in response to the severe drought and ongoing fires, declaring a state of emergency through June 1.
The order will allow the state to provide greater assistance to the response efforts of local and volunteer firefighters.
‘Not Over Yet,’ But Crews Gaining Control of South Dakota Wildfires March 31, 2021
Firefighters have begun to gain control of wildfires in the Black Hills of South Dakota that have forced the evacuation of more than 400 homes and closed the Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
Three separate wildfires were burning near Rapid City, with the largest near Schroeder Road in the Nemo area. That fire has burned nearly 3.3 square miles (8.1 square kilometers). But officials said they expected to contain about half of the fire by the end of the day on March 30.
“It’s not over yet, but we’re in a pretty good spot,” said Gov. Kristi Noem, who traveled to Rapid City to help oversee the fire response.
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In an update on Thursday, the firefighters wrote that dry and windy conditions that have helped stoke the flames were expected again. They also said that while they have worked to extinguish hot spots near structures, the area is under a Red Flag Warning through Thursday night. Our firefighters need your help today: Please avoid outdoor use of fire, or anything that could make sparks, they pleaded. Together, we can prevent another new fire.
But there was some good news for those returning to evacuated areas as the Pennington County Sheriff s Office said Thursday they were working on a plan to reopen travel on nearby West Highway 44, following reports of active fire near the highway on Wednesday night.