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For those of you that didn't like what little bit of snow you got, and those that want the snow to go away, you area now going to see the results of a mild winter.
As of this morning. Rapid City and the surrounding area has set a fire ban. No campfires, not even in a fire ring. No open fires. Gas grills only.
Had the snow fallen like normal, you could enjoy some spring camping, sitting around the fire in the evening, hot coffee boiling on the coals in the morning, roasting marshmellows, not this year.
Fire bans normally start getting set in mid to late summer due to dry conditions and sometimes added wind, making it drier yet.
If fire bans are already being set, what does that tell you about the upcoming summer? 50% of the trees are beetle killed and already a major fire hazard and will literally explode should a fire break out. Beetles are there due to the drought and dry conditions. Will there be any trees left after this summer?
If dry conditions continue, it is going to be devastating to the Black Hills. The only hope is if the rest of March, all of April and May are the wettest months in history. Shoveling a little snow every now and then, having to wash the car more often, driving a little slower does to icy or packed snow on the road, is a very small price to pay, for the beautiful Black Hills.
Hopefully 4020 can weigh in with his vast experience and let us know just how the Black Hills are doing and if the fire departments, and forest service are getting ready for this summer.
Personnally, I believe that this year is going to be the worst we've ever seen for forest fires. With it being this dry now and the normal spring thunder storms coming up, the only thing we can hope for is slow rain that is a soaking rain before the lightning starts.
That is a timely post on an important subject. Hopefully some of the needed moisture will come tonight or tomorrow. The sky over Hot Springs sure looks like it, but there is nothing for my CoCo report this morning.
The entire country needs moisture. A years worth of rain, for three hours every single day, would not be enough to raise the water table and fill the reservoirs.
No matter where you live, hope for rain or snow and lots of it.
The last couple days the fire danger has been in the high category. The hills and the situation they are in, it scares the #### out of me. With the mountain pine beetle and several areas of standing dead or dying pine. I have a feeling we will have dry line thunderstorms come through and light an infested area. IMO, the main area of concern is the hills. The prairie grass should be grazed off and not as heavy. Last year there were many nasty grass fires, this year it shouldn't be as bad.
There has been lots of training offered and it making sure your gear and equipment is in order. Also that firefighters are physically ready to hump in equipment and dig lines.
I kept my wild land gear in my pickup all winter long.
I am NOT looking forward to this summer. We are working at making our property more Firewise, but since we rent, there's only so much we can do. I am thankful for the metal roof, but the walls are lumber, so we are concentrating on the ground fire entry. We got a few inches of snow over the weekend, but even a foot of heavy wet stuff won't save us now. The fires got entirely too close for comfort late last fall...guess I will add the evac packs to my to-do list. Gotta have them ready before we need to have them ready!
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