HOT SPRINGS – Extreme wind gusts combined with extremely dry conditions, made for nightmarish conditions beginning on Thursday, March 12, when multiple fires were sparked in the Southern Black Hills.
The hazardous conditions also forced Black Hills Energy to temporarily implement its Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) to approximately 560 customers in areas around Hot Springs, including the communities of Buffalo Gap and Oral. Power was also out in part of Edgemont due to a damaged line.
The largest fire in the Black Hills, still ablaze early this week, is the Qury Fire which started two miles southeast of Custer. As of Monday night, March 16, its total size was 8,434 acres and was considered 27% contained. At that time, there were 350 personnel on the scene but that number had been at 415 earlier in the day. The official cause of the fire was still under investigation. This fire forced multiple evacuations and also burned some buildings on private property.
The Hot Brook Fire, located one mile north of Hot Springs, was reported to the Fall River County dispatch at 3:39 p.m. on Thursday, March 12. The original report of fire to dispatch was made by on-duty highway patrol officer, Zach Bader.
A total of 22 acres burned in this blaze and was 100% contained on Friday night, March 13. As of Monday, March 16, it was considered controlled but daily patrols of fire personnel were still ongoing. No structures were lost, but one home was threatened early in the fire. A backburn behind that structure has provided some protection.
While there were no large-scale evacuations, all residents of the Hot Brook area were asked to be in the ‘Ready’ status and be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice. Hot Brook Canyon Road was closed except to local traffic while firefighters were battling the blaze.
Personnel on the scene included Hot Springs VFD, South Dakota Wildland Fire, Hot Springs VAMC, Minnekahta VFD and Rockerville VFD.
The Hot Springs area also had a second fire start at about the same time on Thursday afternoon and located a little over one mile to the northwest near 538 E. Cold Brook Avenue. The fire scorched a power pole and burned an area of dry grass and bottoms of some trees. No structured were damaged but there were some homes located nearby. The fire was mopped-up and completed within about two hours of when it was reported.
The largest fires in the region ignited last week were in the Nebraska Sandhills, where as of Monday, March 16, the Morrill Fire had consumed 572,804 acres and the Cottonwood Fire had consumed 122,144 acres, and were both still raging out of control.