Black Hills National Forest

US Forest Service
Black Hills National Forest
1019 N. 5th Street
Custer, SD 57730
605-673-9200

Telephone for the
Hearing Impaired
605-673-9227

News Release

USDA Forest Service

Black Hills National Forest

Contact: Todd Pechota, (605) 673-9280, or email us at r2 blackhills webinfo@fs.fed.us

SMOKE SIGNALS PRESCRIBED FIRE SEASON

CUSTER, SD: OCTOBER 1, 2008

Forest officials are lighting fires on purpose now so wildfires next summer will be less destructives and trees will be healthier.

Black Hills National Forest fire management officer Todd Pechota said prescribed fires help protect lives, property, and living forests from large killing fires in the summer.

Firefighters are lighting the forest on fire to reduce the severity and intensity of wildfires by reducing the fuels that feed summer wildfires. The benefits of burning the forest during cooler periods of the year are many, Pechota said. Among them are improving forest health by recycling carbon and nutrients into the soil and controlling forest insects.

Prescribed fires, so-called because they are only lit after they meet prescriptions detailing things like weather conditions, wind speeds, and numbers of firefighters needed for control, also increase forage for wildlife, like grass and bushes, and improve conditions for better wildlife habitat.

An unfortunate side effect from the smoke columns that are very visible to people in Rapid City, especially in the early morning and late afternoon, is smoke settling in Black Hills communities. Pechota said the smoke is temporary and does not exceed air quality limits set by the State of South Dakota and the Environmental Protection Agency. For example, the highest PM 2.5 air quality rating reached in Rapid City this morning was 19.5 with 35 being the ceiling. The numbers continue to drop this afternoon.

“Conditions for dispersing smoke are not very good in the early morning,” said Todd Pechota, Forest fire management officer. “Conditions improve in the late morning and early afternoon, and then decrease in the late afternoon.” Pechota said firefighters stop burning about 4 pm to allow smoke to disperse overnight.

Burn Bosses communicate with the National Weather Service throughout the ignition period to monitor changing conditions, Pechota said. Firing stops as soon as possible if there are indications the smoke dispersal forecast will fall to poor.

“We Plan to have firing wrapped up by 4 pm,” Pechota said. “On site weather forecasts from NWS give us good information for very specific areas where we are burning.”

“We need public support and understanding for our planned fires,” he said. “There is no way to burn without smoke but the smoke now is a much better alternative for the forest and our communities than smoke in August wildfires.”

Burn bosses and fire managers are highly trained and very experienced and form the core of wildfire fighters in summer months.

For more information including current photos and video, visit our website at www.fs.fed.us/r2/blackhills.

Photo: Beth Steinhauer, Forest Service, Public Affairs