PIEDMONT, S.D. – The Red Gate Fire near Piedmont, S.D., is 50 percent contained as of the most recent report from the Great Plains Fire Information.
Lightning from morning storms ignited trees in Little Elk Burn scar area sometime July 1st and 2nd. The fire was reported at 9:30a.m. on Tuesday. Firefighting crews continue to work to control the blaze, which is around 1.5 miles northwest of Piedmont.
Helicopters were seen circling the hillside Tuesday afternoon, dropping water in front of the fire in an effort to slow its forward progress. The latest updates from Great Plains Fire Information state the fire has grown to 3.4 acres in size.
There is some optimism the fire can be held to a small acreage because of its location. The burn scar from 2002′s Little Elk Creek Fire impacted 673 acres. Though some vegetation has regrown in the past 22 years, the forest is less dense across the vast burn scar. If the Red Gate Fire moves into this area, it will have less access to fuel than in the surrounding forest.
No evacuations have been ordered. However, people living in Piedmont and nearby areas should pay close attention to communications from emergency personnel in case the fire intensifies.
