Slash pile burn permits expire March 31

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - Permits for open burning in the Black Hills Forest Fire Protection District expire Friday, March 31.

Every year temporary permits are given from Nov. 1 to March 31 to burn slash piles when there is continuous snow cover and the snow depth is at least two inches for small slash piles and six inches for large slash piles. Permits can only be used to burn slash piles.

“When the snow melts, and temperatures rise, potential fire fuels begin drying out, increasing the risk of wildfire,” said Jay Wickham, South Dakota Department of Public Safety Wildland Fire director. “The pine trees and the grasslands in the Black Hills, unfortunately, can burn anytime if there isn’t significant snow cover.”

To learn more about slash pile burn permits, please visit https://wildlandfire.sd.gov/ and click the Burn Permits tab.

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