Managing wildfires with prescribed burns in South Dakota

BLACK HILLS, S.D. (KELO) — Firefighters in Nebraska are hoping to include a wildfire burning within the southwestern a part of the state. It has already claimed the life of 1 particular person, injured at the least 15 firefighters and destroyed at the least six properties. Whereas this hearth is devastating, there are a variety of issues taking place within the Black Hills to stop future fires from spreading.

The principle aim of a prescribed hearth is to assist handle the depth of wildfires once they occur.

“When it burns in areas the place there was a prescribed hearth, it has the flexibility to be much less damaging and simpler to manage,” John Haskvitz, Prescribed Hearth Venture Supervisor, stated.

And that’s not all.

Prescribed Hearth Venture Supervisor, John Haskvitz, for South Dakota Wildland Hearth says these burns will also be useful to the habitat.

“They’re good to reinforce the habitat and plant variety and bringing again the native grasses,” Haskvitz stated.

Native hearth departments throughout the Black Hills, together with Rockerville, assist with prescribed burns.

“We because the Rockerville Hearth Division and a variety of your native hearth departments find yourself supporting a few of these burns from the State, the Forest, even Ellsworth. If used appropriately, hearth is a superb instrument, very helpful,” Hearth Chief Gail Schmidt, Rockerville Volunteer Hearth Division, stated.

Chief Gail Schmidt says prescribed burns will also be a very good coaching instrument for crews.

“As a substitute of simply flying in and placing it out, it’s a fantastic coaching alternative to have the ability to watch that fireside conduct after which assist monitor and suppress that fireside conduct,” Chief Schmidt stated.

The South Dakota Wildland Hearth says placing on a prescribed hearth takes months of getting ready. Because of the current drought, there have been only a few burns to this point this yr.