Rapid City wildfire season is about to begin

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - With the dry weather beginning to heat the Black Hills, wildfires are prone to ignite. They can happen on federal land, state forests, or even right in your backyard. In Rapid City, wildfire season is just about to begin, but South Dakota Wildland Fire crews have been prepping for the season all year long.

Peak fire season in the Black Hills tends to begin at the end of June following the typically rainy months of April and May. For Wildland fire crews, it’s necessary to stay ready throughout the year, this means year-round training whether in the classroom or out in the field. The crews have a training schedule they hope to complete each season.

It’s important to have a full staff ready for the season and every year about 50 seasonal employees are hired. Most of that hiring is complete for this year.

Mike Reed, Fire District Manager, said now is the time for everyone to prep for the season and gave some tips for the community to prepare.

“The time to prepare for fire is now before there is fire on the ground. What they need to be looking at is defensible space, making sure their yards are, you know weeds and flammable vegetations are removed, they have good defensible space. Just making sure they get it done ahead of time,” Reed said.

For other ways to prevent wildfires, visit the Wildland Fire website.

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