A Prescribed Fire by the Fire Service on Monday, April 13, 2015, which was geared mainly to reduce fire hazards escaped it’s containment field and became a minor wildfire name “Cold Creek Fire”.
Photo Credit: @inciweb
Several hours into the 1,000 acre prescribed burn, a fire whirl picked up burning ash taking it outside of its intended perimeter causing it nearby ignite grass and timber. Soon the 1000 acre fire had turned in to its current burned acreage of 6420.
The fire is located in the Keyhole, the southern portion inside the Wind Cave National Park and approximately seven [7] miles north of Hot Springs in South Dakota.
At one time, the fire had threatened three [3] ranches along the park’s eastern boundary and two [2] park structures. Firefighters were faced with steep and rugged terrain.
Currently, there are no threats and no evacuations at this time.
Firefighters have worked extremely hard and have been successful is stopping the fire from gaining any additional acreage. The incident called out firefighters from the local, State and Federal levels with a high number reaching 148 on the fire ground at one time and is down to 70.
Containment is now at 90%.
A Type 3 IMT had been in charge of the fire with a Type 2 ordered and arriving on scene [Rocky Mountain Team Black]. They felt the team already in place already had a good handle on the incident and acknowledged they were not needed.
Other resources used were two [2] South Dakota Air National Guard Blackhawk Helicopters, three [3] single engine air tankers [SEATS] and two [2] 1 Type 1 helos that dipped from nearby Cold Brook Reservoir near Hot Springs, South Dakota.
Several engines and hand crew lines have demobilized on Thursday and have been reassigned to other incidents. Less than one inch of rain has aided firefighters to get a handle on the fire. They are expecting to have 100% containment by noon on Friday.
ABOUT PRESCRIBED FIRES
Here are some the reasons why an intentional burn is needed:
- Reduce hazards, protecting communities from extreme fires
- Minimize the spread of pest insects and diseases
- Removes unwanted species that threatens the ecosystem
- Provides food for livestock and game
- Improves habitat for endangered and threatened species
- To recycle nutrients back into the soil
- Promotes tree, wildflowers and other growths
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