The blaze has consumed seven houses and another 15 outbuildings
Could have been a LOT worse. Good work firefighters!
Posted on 07/03/2002 2:55:32 PM PDT by petuniasevan
Firefighters could face rough day
By Journal Staff
DEADWOOD - The Grizzly Gulch Fire grew overnight to 9,000 acres Wednesday, and residents of Boulder Canyon who had been allowed to return home Tuesday evening were re-evacuated during the middle of the night.
Residents on the south side of Radio Tower Road were given a mandatory evacuation order at 3 a.m. Wednesday due to unexpected increased fire activity in the area.
At the same time, residents along the south side of U.S. Highway 14A in Boulder Canyon were asked to voluntarily evacuate, according to a press release from the South Dakota Governor's Office. Residents on the north side of the highway were allowed to remain but were told to be prepared to leave should fire conditions warrant.
Officials again closed Highway 14A Tuesday night between the Shonley's housing addition and the intersection of Highways 14A and 85 at Deadwood.
Wednesday morning, the fire continued to burn actively along the north and east perimeters. Fire activity continued to diminish along the south and west sides of the fire, and officials declared the fire 35 percent contained Wednesday morning.
Weather conditions caused worry, and a red flag warning was in effect as winds were expected to pick up throughout the afternoon and evening. The morning forecast called for temperatures in the 80s, relative humidity in the low 20 percent range and winds increase from 5 to 10 mph in the morning to 20 to 25 mph in the afternoon. The afternoon weather front could bring erratic and gusting winds, isolated thunderstorms and possibly dry lightning.
At Tuesday's 6 p.m. fire crew briefing, National Weather Service meteorologist Bob Nester told fire crews and federal officials that the Northern Hills could be hit with winds up to 30 mph later today and experience gusts up to 45 mph, lasting into tonight.
Those south-southeast winds could push the fire north and east along Boulder Canyon in the Two-Bit Creek and Pillar Peak areas. Officials are concerned that fires of this type can spot or jump and restart a half mile to a mile ahead of the main fire.
Nester said there was also a slight possibility of thunderstorms, lightning and hail.
Officials haven't yet determined the cause of the fire that started Saturday afternoon in Grizzly Gulch south of Deadwood and Lead. The blaze has consumed seven houses and another 15 outbuildings.
Sheriff Rick Mowell said Wednesday that investigators were able to get into the general vicinity of where they believe the fire started. During the first few days of the fire, active burning kept them out of the area, he said.
"We are pretty much comfortable in that area now," Mowell said. "We have an idea of where it started and are working that area. We have not come up with any definitive cause."
Both U.S. Forest Supervisor John Twiss and South Dakota Chief Deputy Attorney General Larry Long said their offices were not involved in the investigation and had not been briefed by Lawrence County officials.
Mowell said plans are now for his office to carry the investigation through to its conclusion.
Should investigators determine the fire was deliberately set, the maximum criminal penalty for arson in a forested area would be 25 years in prison and a $25,000 fine. In the event of arson in an inhabited structure, the maximum penalty would be life in prison.
Should investigators determine that negligent behavior led to the fire, civil penalties such as fines totaling the cost of fighting the fire would far outweigh any criminal penalties, Long said. The one exception would be any death caused by the fire, which could lead to a manslaughter charge, he said.
Although daytime operations chief Beth Lund called Tuesday's general fire behavior "subdued," it still grew to more than 9,000 acres, up from nearly 6,850 acres reported earlier Tuesday. "Wednesday could be a major test and the potential for fire growth. The fire is not real secure," Lund said.
Besides having to watch the weather, firefighters will face another drawback today: Five of the seven slurry bombers that have been dropping retardant on the blaze will be out of action because of maintenance and other responsibilities.
In addition, the two South Dakota Army National Guard Black Hawk helicopters that helped with water drops are being pulled from the Grizzly Gulch Fire to assist with guard duties at Mount Rushmore National Memorial over the July 4 holiday.
According to air boss Larry Mabbutt, two helicopters, from Florida and Washington state, could arrive this afternoon. He said he has also ordered four replacement slurry tankers.
"The helicopters could arrive just about the time the winds do and you have to remember that if the wind reaches 30 mph, we stop air operations," he said.
Deadwood and Lead area residents can learn more about the fire at a 7:30 p.m. meeting tonight at the Deadwood Pavilion.
Lead mayor Tom Nelson said Tuesday evening that any decision to let evacuated Lead residents return to their homes would not be made before meetings this morning with fire management and law enforcement officials.
"It's the same meetings we had yesterday," he said.
Travel restrictions were eased Tuesday, allowing those still in the community to move to and from work, with the fire threat -- for the moment -- eased.
That could change quickly if an expected wind shift materializes today.
"We're not going to let people back in just so we can kick 'em out again," Nelson said.
The estimated 700 firefighters on duty will begin work today under a Red Flag Watch -- a status similar to a tornado or blizzard watch -- which means the situation could worsen.
If Nester sees further signs that high winds are approaching, he will issue a Red Flag Warning.
Incident Safety Officer Steve Dondero said that warning moves officials and crews to a higher level of awareness, which includes posting adequate lookouts, checking communications equipment, and reviewing escape routes and safety zones.
Lund said there is a "trigger point" east of the fire in Boulder Canyon. If the fire reaches a certain undisclosed location, fire officials would notify Meade County law enforcement to initiate "public safety measures." These measures wouldn't necessarily mean evacuations. County officials would plan a response and notify residents in the path of the fire.
A 100-acre spot fire was burning Tuesday ahead of the main fire in Boulder Canyon near the Bear Den Mountain area, two miles from the Lawrence-Meade counties line. Three hotshot crews and helicopters worked to contain the blaze there.
The fire was burning especially hot in the Gilt Edge Mine area toward Galena in eastern Lawrence County. A shortage of hand crews in that area limited the amount of containment work that could be done. Bulldozers and air support were deployed to that zone.
Tuesday's activities elsewhere included work by hand crews and structure trucks. The firefighters strengthened fire lines, knocked down hot spots and watched for spot fires that crossed the lines.
In the Lead and Deadwood areas, crews continued mopping up and established a 100-foot-wide line to further secure the edges. Although Deadwood residents returned to their homes Monday night and Tuesday, fire officials encouraged them to keep an eye on smoldering stumps and other hot spots and to call for help if flare-ups occur.
Bruce Kraemer of the South Dakota National Guard was among the members of the 82nd Civil Support Team that transported hand crews to work areas. Kraemer was stationed on Yellow Creek Road south of Lead. "We are stationed here in case the hand crew needs to hightail it out," Kraemer said. "You never know when the wind is going to change."
Black Hills National Forest Supervisor John Twiss inspected the progress Tuesday and said he was pleased with the effort of the emergency responders in getting people out quickly and safely. "There was good initial work by firefighters and law enforcement and with tankers and equipment," Twiss said. "There was also good leadership by the state of South Dakota in getting on top of it. The decisions made in the early hours were the right ones."
Twiss said the incident commanders ordered a Type I team when the fire was only 100 acres in size, which made for quicker federal involvement.
Twiss said the conditions of the forest right now look more like those in late August. He is stepping up air patrols and is keeping his fire suppression crews spread out throughout the Black Hills. Twiss is also keeping tabs on all Forest Service personnel, with call numbers for key people, even on their days off.
"Detection and initial attack are the two most important factors," Twiss said. "We cannot afford a lapse in time in spotting a fire."
It looks like it may be heading towards Sturgis, and the winds aren't helping one bit......
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.