RAPID CITY, S.D. – Ellsworth Air Force Base is conducting scheduled prescribed burns today, which is expected to result in smoke visible throughout the day for residents in the Rapid City area.
Residents are advised that fire response vehicles may be seen en route to and at the burn locations. People should exercise caution while driving if smoke affects visibility. The public is asked not to call 911 to report the smoke from the controlled burn.
The controlled burning is a standard procedure undertaken by the 28th Civil Engineer Squadron and Air Force Wildland Fire Branch. The purpose of these burns is typically twofold: to reduce hazardous fuel loads on the base and to improve vegetation and environmental conditions.
Prescribed fire is used to manage natural habitats, maintain and improve rangeland conditions, and reduce the risk of more destructive wildfires, especially in fire-prone ecosystems near the base, according to past statements from Ellsworth AFB public affairs. Burns near the airfield also help reduce cover that attracts wildlife, which can pose a risk of Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH) to flight operations.