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From the KOTA news; Highway 385 between Pringle and Wind Cave is closed due to a wild fire that started mid-afternoon. Voluntary evacuations have been recommended in the Beaver Creek area just east of Pringle. Several fire departments and state crews were dispatched to the fire. The cause is unknown
I can see the smoke from my living room window. It is a big one.
From the Custer County Chronicle: FIRE UPDATE: Shirt Tail Canyon and 33 residents in the Beaver Creek Area, east of Pringle, have been forced to evacuate. The Myrtle Fire started earlier today and has forced parts of Hwy 385 to close. Thirteen other homes and one campground have voluntarily evacuated as the Custer County Sheriff Department continues to alert residents along the fire's path, including homes on Beaver Creek, Rifle Pit and Flynn Creek Roads. Traffic barricades are in place on roads in that area leading off Highway 385, which has been closed between Pringle and Wind Cave National Park where the fire crossed the highway.
The Redcross set up a shelter for those being evacuated at the Custer Middle School. There are evacuations in place.
The Myrtle Fire, reported yesterday, July 19, 2012 at 1:30pm approximately 1 mile east of Pringle, SD, has grown to 7500 acres and is 5 percent contained. Approximately 300 firefighter personnel are on scene with more coming.
Residents north of Argyle road to highway 385 have been placed on evacuation notice. For more information on evacuations, please call Frank at (605) 673-8307. Argyle road remains open.
The American Red Cross has opened an emergency evacuation center at the Armory/Custer Middle School.
Wind Cave National Park has been closed until further notice.
"Right now we are concerned about the area south of 385 and Pringle," said Mike Carter, Emergency Coordinator for Custer County. "We have no concerns about Custer," he said.
The public can go to Denver from Custer via Highway 385 and Highway 89 south to Denver.
People can get to Hot Springs from Custer- by going south on 385 and 89 to Minnekahta Junction.
"We will keep people informed if the situation changes," Carter said.
There were three fires within a couple of miles of New Underwood yesterday. I was driving home and saw lightning hit, then a puff of smoke. Then another strike and puff, and another. I called 911 to report multiple fires. Our volunteers were on those things like white on rice. It helped that we actually got rain out of this one. There was a lot of cloud-to-ground lightning, and the dispatcher said they were sending fire crews all over the place trying to stamp fires out.
The myrtle fire is now at 9,000 acres and moving south , south east. There is now a shelter open in Hot Springs, for those being evacuated on the south side.
Rain fell overnight on portions of the Myrtle fire with amounts ranging from 0.2" to over 1.0".
The rain on the northern portion of the fire helped to strengthen existing containment lines. But on the southern end of the fire, crews observed active burning within the fire perimeter overnight as the amount of precipitation in that area was limited.
The estimate on the size of the fire is holding at 9,075 acres. It is 20% contained as of Sunday morning.
There will be a community meeting Sunday night at 7:00 p.m. at the community building by the fire station in Pringle.
The number of firefighters on the scene has swelled to 569. Crews will continue to focus on the southeast to southwest flanks of the fire.
From KOTA news as of 3 hrs ago on the Myrtle fire:
1:00 PM Update:
All evacuations lifted, and all roads open as of 1:00 p.m. today. Fire crews will be continuing to work in the area, and residents are asked to use caution while traveling on roads as they open to the public. Should conditions change, a pre-evacuation notice could be reinstated. For current information on the status of evacuations and road closures please contact Custer County at (605) 673-8105 or Fall River County at Fall River County, South Dakota. Utility companies have restored power to all primary residences in the area.
A Temporary Area Closure, issued by the Black Hills National Forest, remains in effect for the Myrtle Fire area. Wind Cave National Park remains closed until further notice.
Fire crews report making excellent progress on the Myrtle Fire over the past several days.
Crews were successful in conducting firing operations to secure the southeastern portion of the fire Sunday. Weather conditions were favorable in allowing crews to conduct the burnout both safely and to promote forest health.
The Northern 2/3rds of the fire received precipitation last night which assisted in slowing fire spread.
The fire is currently 40% contained with an estimated containment date of July 25th. The fire is estimated at 10,080 acres.
Monday fire crews will be mopping up the fire perimeter - a process firefighters use to make sure there are no hot spots near the containment lines. Crews will also be clearing any hazard trees along the roads to make sure travel on roads is safe.
A community meeting is scheduled for Monday night at 7:00 p.m. The meeting will be held at the community building next to the fire station in Pringle.
It should be noted that Hells Canyon to the south of Hot springs has a fire. There is another fire N W of Edgemont. Myrtle is north of Hot Springs. And there are one or two fires on the Pine Risdge to the east. Needless to say there is a lot of smoke in Hot Springs, but it seems to ne clearing up.
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