RAPID CITY, S.D. — A small vegetation fire was quickly contained near Pactola Reservoir on Saturday evening, thanks to the swift response of the Johnson Siding Volunteer Fire Department. The fire, caused by an unattended campfire, burned a pitch stump a few feet away from its enclosure.
According to a report from the fire department, a five-person crew responded to the call around 6:15 p.m. Due to the challenging terrain and the small size of the blaze, firefighters used backpack pumps and hand tools to extinguish the flames. The crew hiked in with 5 gallons of water each to reach the fire, which was located in an unauthorized camping area within the Black Hills National Forest.
After extinguishing the fire and clearing flammable materials from the area, Johnson Siding Fire Chief Smart turned the scene over to a U.S. Forest Service crew. All Johnson Siding units cleared the scene around 7:45 p.m.
The Johnson Siding Volunteer Fire Department stressed the importance of following regulations for campfires in the national forest. The department also thanked the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Pennington County 911, and the U.S. Forest Service for their assistance in the response.