Pine Ridge fires coming under control

Officials in the Forest Department report that fires which threatened to devastate much of the Mountain Pine Ridge have been largely brought under control. This does not mean that they are no longer burning, but the spread has been contained and the areas still smoking–in this case near Devil’s Drive–are being monitored. Forest officers have been back burning several other areas in the reserve to form firebreaks that should help prevent future fires from getting out of hand. The situation is still extremely dangerous, however, as the large areas of dead trees killed by pine beetle infestation are highly susceptible to fires sparked by lightning or careless human activity during this long dry season.