The National Interagency Fire Center has raised the nation’s wildfire readiness status to Preparedness Level 5, the highest level on the national scale, as crews battle 78 large fires across the country and firefighting resources become increasingly stretched.
Local fire officials say the designation affects South Dakota because personnel and equipment are often reassigned to major fire incidents nationwide. Pennington County Fire Administrator Jerome Harvey said the preparedness level serves as a measure of wildfire activity and resource availability across the country.
Officials warn that drought conditions and low fuel moisture in western South Dakota have increased the risk of fast-moving grass and wildland fires. Recent examples include a 220-acre grass fire in Butte County and an illegal campfire discovered still smoldering at Falling Rock near Johnson Siding.
Fire departments are urging residents and visitors to prevent human-caused ignitions by avoiding dragging trailer chains, maintaining vehicles, following burn restrictions, and carrying basic firefighting tools such as shovels and fire extinguishers.
The elevated preparedness level is also affecting staffing and deployments, with some South Dakota firefighting resources being assigned to incidents outside the state. Officials emphasize that prevention is critical, especially in the Black Hills and other drought-stricken areas where fire conditions can change rapidly.
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