KEYSTONE, S.D. – Mount Rushmore National Memorial implemented a prescribed burn on Wednesday, April 29 to reduce accumulated fuels in support of the park’s fire management plan.
The burn was ignited within developed areas of the Memorial and covered approximately 260 acres.
The burn objective was to reduce the build-up of dead fuels, in order to reduce the chance of higher severity fires. Visitors could see drifting smoke and haze throughout the burn period.
Mount Rushmore National Memorial has successfully completed several fuel-reducing projects in the past, to prevent or slow the growth of wildfires.
These projects have primarily included mechanical thinning and pile burning. This week’s broadcast burn will allow the Memorial to reduce fuels across a larger area and will be conducted under approved prescription conditions.
