Pile burning to begin soon on Black Hills National Forest

With the recent snowfall across the Black Hills National Forest, Ranger Districts will be focusing efforts on burning thousands of hand and machine slash piles. Piles are created from timber sale slash and tree thinning operations.

Piles are only ignited when managers are confident that the project can be undertaken safely with considerations to snow cover, wind, temperature, available staffing and smoke dispersal. Public and firefighter safety is always the number-one priority in all burning operations. Firefighters continually monitor and check the piles for several days after they have been lit.

“It is very important to reduce fire and insect hazards by reducing fuel buildup,” said Jason Virtue, Black Hills National Forest Fire Management Officer. “We appreciate the support from the communities. Being able to reduce these fuels this time of year makes fire suppression operations safer during the summer months.

Smoke will be visible and may impact local communities across the Black Hills for the next several months. Smoldering material may continue to burn days after burning operations are completed.

The USDA Forest Service has recently completed a 90-day nationwide operational pause and program review of protocols, decision support tools and practices related to the implementation of prescribed fire. This pause has allowed us time to identify and immediately implement program improvements to ensure firefighters have the resources, tools and support needed to safely carry out this important work.

The lessons we’ve learned, driven by the best available science, will be implemented before we resume our prescribed fire program.

For more pile burning information and notifications, follow the Black Hills National Forest on the Great Plains Fire Information page: http://gpfireinfo.blogspot.com/, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackhillsnf and/or Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlackHillsNF