Pine Ridge residents back in homes, but not out of fire danger - KOTA Territory News

Pine Ridge residents back in homes, but not out of fire danger

A fire that's been roaring through northern Nebraska for almost a week crossed into South Dakota Friday afternoon and was renamed once more on Saturday to the Wellnitz North fire.
 
An evacuation notice issued Friday for people on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation has now been lifted, but that doesn't mean the danger's gone.

And even though Elmer Yellow Hare doesn't think that danger will creep back toward his house, he's not too worried if it does.
 
"We all look after each other," he said, "and we all have a lot of respect for everyone who lives here."
 
Yellow Hare didn't rely on that hospitality when he was issued an evacuation notice Friday.

The single father of seven decided to stay put.
 
"I have six girls and one boy," he said. "So, you know, I'm not just going to run away from my home."
 
Fortunately, his home wasn't one of the two lost to the fire.
 
"If we didn't have the help that we did have," said Oglala Sioux Tribe emergency manager Wayne Weston, "I think it would have been much more out of control."

Weston was referring to help from local, state, and federal firefighters.

Even with the 22 engines and several aircraft, though, the lightning-caused fire grew from about 11,000 acres in South Dakota Friday to 27,000  Saturday afternoon.
 
We were told yesterday that one of their goals was to keep the fire on the south side of Highway 18. Except for a few spots where it did manage to jump the pavement, they succeeded in keeping it off the north side.

"There are a lot of hot spots still out there on this reservation," Weston said.

Enough that the tribe has been granted a federal emergency declaration, bringing with it a promise of reimbursement for firefighting costs.
 
"This FEMA grant," said Weston, "pays about 75 percent of their costs."
 
It's a small piece of good news for a tribe that's battled five separate federally-recognized disasters since June.

But even with the tragedy, some are confident the tribe will pull through.
 
"We help everybody," Yellow Hare said. "We've always been that way"

On Sunday, a Type 2 response team from Colorado will be taking over firefighting efforts.

They'll meet with current responders in Nebraska before heading up north to battle the flames.