Firefighters Staying on their Toes
Local News
by
Amy Wright
last edited on
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Summer rain showers have helped keep wildfires in the Black Hills to a minimum this year, but firefighters remain fire ready. Just a couple years ago wildfires were a common sight in our area. Even though it's been a quiet summer, crews are still working on out-of-state fires to make sure they're prepared just in case a wildfire sparks here.
South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression Division Director, Joe Lowe, said, "The benefit is it keeps our skill set sharp and also it keeps the tax payers of South Dakota happy because once we go out on a fire and are ordered by another agency, those costs are paid for 100 percent by the ordering agency, which means we are off the state payroll for a while and we save the tax payers of this state some money."
Lowe says state fire crews routinely inspect campgrounds and some public buildings for hazards in an effort to keep the Black Hills safe from fire danger.