SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — One of the largest fires of the summer in South Dakota and eastern Wyoming area of the Black Hills so far has been the Bennett Fire which covered at least 367 acres in the Black Hills National Forest.
The fire had been 100% contained as of Tuesday, according to the Black Hills National Forest and USDA. At least 110 fire personnel from several states responded to the fire.
The Thursday Red Canyon fire six miles northeast of Edgemont was 100 acres as of Thursday. It was not contained.
According to the U.S. Forest Service, the fire season in the Black Hills runs from May through October.
The Great Plains Fire Information website lists at least 100 fires in the Black Hills area of western South Dakota and eastern Wyoming since May 1.
Many of those are small fires of only a few acres or less than an acre.
A May 5 fire in Bennett Canyon was 2.2 acres. This fire was reported at 7 a.m., seven miles southeast of Dewey. A fire on May 4 in Pilger Mountain near Dewey was 14.9 acres.
A July 10 fire in Boulder Canyon on Highway 14A between Sturgis and Deadwood was .1 acre.
Lightning is the cause of main fires. The other cause is human.
KELOLAND meteorologist Scot Mundt recently explained how dry lightning causes fires.
“It’s an odd term but it happens when a storm produces lightning, but any rain that falls from the cloud evaporates before it reaches the ground. Unfortunately, any dry lightning strikes will have to be monitored for starting fires,” Mundt said in his Thursday KELOLAND story.
Lightning caused two fires on July 2. One fire was 3.4 acres. It was reported at 9:30 a.m. in Meade County, 1.8 miles northwest of Piedmont.
Another lightning fire was a .2 acre fire reported at 1:08 p.m. southeast of Hill City.
Western South Dakota and eastern Wyoming have been dry this summer. Some areas have been in a drought. The dry conditions increase the risk of fire.
Lightning caused the Aug. 15 Bennett Fire, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
About 75% of fires in the Black Hills National Forest are caused by lightning, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
There are very high, high, moderate and low grassland fire dangers in western South Dakota for Thursday and Friday, according to the National Weather Service fire danger map.
