The Forest Service has a prescribed burn planned for the second and third of December. The burn will cover 500 acres in the Black Hills National Forest.
Matt Daigle is a fuels technician for the Mystic Ranger District .
Daigle says this project started in 2016 and could continue through the decade.
He says the Black Hills' prescribed burns help keep the forests healthy.
“When we exclude fire, ponderosa pine grows so prolifically here it can crowd itself out and, when it crowds itself out, it leads to stunted growth. So then we’re not – the trees don’t have a chance to get to a large size and those dense groves of trees are more prone to wildfires.”
Daigle says local residents near Hill City can expect minimal smoke impact from the fire except for a half mile around Reno Gulch road.
The Forest Service will consider other opportunities for prescribed burns this winter if conditions are right.
-Contact SDPB’s David Scottby email.