List of South Dakota wildfires

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This is a partial list of notable wildfires in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Most fires occur in the Black Hills, a heavily-forested national park on South Dakota's border with Wyoming.

Contents

Background

Spring Fire Season

Spring in South Dakota is marked by increasing temperatures and decreasing humidity, creating favorable conditions for wildfires. The Grassland Fire Danger Index is issued daily during this period, indicating elevated fire risk. The Black Hills National Forest also experiences increased fire activity during these months. Notably, the 2000 Jasper Fire—the largest wildfire in South Dakota’s history—occurred during this season. [1]

Summer Fire Season

From June through August, warmer temperatures and potential Drought conditions increase, further increasing fire risk. The Black Hills National Forest continues to experience heightened fire activity during this period. [2] The White Draw Fire in 2012, which resulted in the tragic loss of four lives due to a firefighting aircraft crash, occurred in June, highlighting the dangers associated with summer wildfires. [3]

Year-Round Fire Potential

While the spring and summer months are the primary fire seasons, wildfires can occur year-round in South Dakota. The state's diverse landscapes and varying climatic conditions contribute to the potential for wildfires at any time. For instance, the Legion Lake Fire in 2017, which burned over 53,000 acres, occurred in December, demonstrating that fire risk persists beyond the traditional fire seasons. [4]

List of fires

This list includes only fires that burned more than 5,000 acres (2,000 ha), resulted in loss of life, or are otherwise notable. Sizes for Black Hills fires between 1910 and 2022 are from the United States Forest Service. [5]

YearNameAreaSizeDeathsNotes
1931Rochford Rochford, Black Hills 20,934 acres (8,472 ha) [5]
1939 McVey near Hill City, Black Hills 20,796 acres (8,416 ha) [5] 0
1947 Hand, Hughes, Hyde, and Potter Counties 250,000 acres (100,000 ha) combinedThree separate prairie fires on the same day [6]
1959 Deadwood Deadwood, Black Hills 4,547 acres (1,840 ha) [5]
1960Wildcat Canyonbetween Hot Springs and Edgemont, Black Hills 10,454 acres (4,231 ha) [5]
1985Flint Hillbetween Hot Springs and Edgemont, Black Hills 21,746 acres (8,800 ha) [5]
1988 Galena Custer State Park, Black Hills 17,976 acres (7,275 ha) [5] 0 Keystone and Mount Rushmore evacuated, 9 firefighters injured [7]
1988 Westberry Trails west of Rapid City, Black Hills 4,778 acres (1,934 ha) [5] 0Multiple homes burned, considered arson [8]
1990 Cicero Peak southeast of Custer, Black Hills 14,518 acres (5,875 ha) [5] 0
2000 Jasper Jewel Cave National Monument, Black Hills 83,508 acres (33,794 ha) [5] 0Largest single wildfire in South Dakota and Black Hills history, ruled an arson [6] [1]
2001Elk Mountain IInorth of Dewey, Black Hills [a] 13,195 acres (5,340 ha) [5]
2001Rogers Shacksouth of Jewel Cave, Black Hills 11,896 acres (4,814 ha) [5]
2001West Hellbetween Hot Springs and Edgemont, Black Hills 10,547 acres (4,268 ha) [5] 0 [9]
2002Grizzly Gulchsoutheast of Deadwood, Black Hills 11,589 acres (4,690 ha) [5] 0Deadwood evacuated [10]
2002Battle Creek Rockerville, Black Hills 13,495 acres (5,461 ha) [5] 0Several homes burned, Rockerville evacuated, US 16 closed between Rapid City and Mount Rushmore [11]
2003Red Pointnorth of Dewey, Black Hills [a] 17,639 acres (7,138 ha) [5] 0
2007 Alabaugh southwest of Hot Springs, Black Hills 10,324 acres (4,178 ha) [5] 1 [12]
2011 Coal Canyon north of Edgemont, Black Hills 5,177 acres (2,095 ha) [5] 1 [13]
2012 White Draw north of Edgemont, Black Hills 8,640 acres (3,500 ha) [5] 4 [b]
2017 Legion Lake Custer State Park and Wind Cave National Park, Black Hills 53,875 acres (21,802 ha) [5] 0 [15]
2021 Schroeder west of Rapid City, Black Hills 2,165 acres (876 ha) [5] 0Caused mass evacuations in the area of the 1988 Westberry Trails Fire [16]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 This fire burned partially in Wyoming.
  2. ↑ Although no deaths occurred directly, 4 firefighters died in an airplane crash while fighting the fire. [14]

References

  1. 1 2 O'Bryan, Miranda (August 24, 2020). "20th anniversary of largest wildfire in South Dakota history". KOTA-TV . Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  2. ↑ Peters, Gerhard; Woolley, John T. "Grover Cleveland: "Proclamation 392 - Withdrawal of Lands for the Black Hills Forest Reserve, South Dakota," February 22, 1897". The American Presidency Project. University of California - Santa Barbara.
  3. ↑ "SD fire slows, but toll includes tanker crash". The Denver Post. Associated Press. July 2, 2012. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
  4. ↑ Lim, Katrina (December 12, 2018). "A look back at the Legion Lake Fire one year later". KEVN . Retrieved June 19, 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 "Black Hills National Forest Large Fire History 1910-2022" (PDF). Forest Service. United States Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 3, 2020. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  6. 1 2 "History". South Dakota Wildland Fire. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Custer State Park fire under control". UPI. July 10, 1988. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  8. ↑ Kite, Kristin (July 27, 2023). "35-year anniversary of the Westberry Trails Fire". KOTA. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  9. ↑ Gease, Heidi Bell (September 29, 2001). "West Hell Fire nearly contained". Rapid City Journal. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  10. ↑ Grant, Keith (June 30, 2022). "Remembering the Grizzly Gulch Fire, 20 years later". KOTA. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Wind keeps wildfire from Rushmore". CNN. August 20, 2002. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  12. ↑ "One Dead in South Dakota Wildfire". Firehouse. July 9, 2007. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  13. ↑ "S.D. Firefighter Killed, 4 Others Hurt in Burnover". Firehouse. August 12, 2011. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Remembering 4 airmen killed fighting South Dakota wildfire". KOTA. July 1, 2020. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Legion Lake Fire third largest in modern history". Hill City Prevailer News. December 21, 2017. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
  16. ↑ Gabbert, Bill (March 31, 2021). "Update: Mount Rushmore opens as firefighters make progress on Black Hills wildfires". Wildfire Today. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
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