What happens if the rain stops?

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - Fire season is believed to typically start in summer. But for those of us in the Black Hills, wildfires can be a year-round occurrence.

With all the recent rain over the last couple of weeks, the grass has grown exceptionally high in some areas, If that rain stops, we dry out, and temperatures warm up, the concern for wildfires could return.

While temperatures are trending a bit warmer, Darren Clabo, the state fire meteorologist, says , his “main concern at the moment is with eastern South Dakota,” adding “Right now at least in the western part of the state, the Black Hills, we’re in pretty fair shape. We’re supposed to get more precipitation again which will be a great thing. Usually, when we get an inch or two of rain it sets us back another four weeks, so right now I’m looking at kind of the beginning of July in terms of when we might even start to see elevated fire risks.”

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