Apperantly Fires Are Still Active

[6392G2]

I wasn't able to make it, however our Cambridge area had a fire on wednesday. This is unusual to say the least for Minnesota. We had to put tanks back onto the trucks and fill our typeIV. It kind of shocked us, because it has snowed a little already. The fire reached aproxamitley 40 acres before it was contained and controlled.

Anywhose weird season this year for us.

6392G2

[NJFFSA16]

Lack of snow increases fire risk
wmosdrapsdabe
By The Associated Press
South Dakota farmers and ranchers aren't the only ones concerned
about the lack of snow this winter.
Continued dry and warm conditions could mean a severe wildfire
season once spring and summer roll around, according to emergency
officials.
"All the counties around here are hurting for moisture," said
Don Opie, former Mobridge fire chief and now the district emergency
management coordinator for Campbell, Walworth, Dewey, Corson and
Ziebach counties in north central South Dakota.
"Most fire departments are gearing up for a tough spring,
especially if we don't get some moisture. I know the local fire
departments went through a lot of wear and tear with all the brush
fires last year. Now they're just working to get everything ready
for what's to come."
Drought started in some parts of northwest South Dakota in
mid-2001, raising the fire danger and drying out pastures and stock
ponds.
Statistics aren't available yet for December, but data from
January through November 2002 indicates the year was among the
driest 10 years in the past 100 years for northwest, north central
and south central South Dakota, according to Dennis Todey, the
state climatologist at South Dakota State University.
The data show that 2002, through November, was among the driest
20 years for the southwest and central parts of the state.
Denny Gorton, Pennington County fire coordinator at Rapid City,
said it's not unusual to have warm, no-snow-cover days this time of
year.
"Our concern comes with someone who maybe hasn't watched the
weather, goes to burn something, and the next day the wind comes up
and it gets away," he said.
The grassland fire danger in prairie areas reached the very high
category last week when temperatures hit 50 degrees and higher.
"Grasses heat and cool down quicker and can ignite quicker than
the logs and trees in the woods. On warmer days like we
experienced, people need to be very careful, even though it's
winter," said Jay Wickham, dispatch logistics manager for the
South Dakota Wildland Suppression Agency.
Wickham said this spring's precipitation amounts will factor
heavily into the severity of the spring-summer wildfire season.
"Spring will be the teller for us - it always is," he said.
"We're so far behind in moisture now that we're not going to be
able to make up for it (with snow). We need those spring rains to
make up for what we're lacking. Those spring rains will tell us a
lot about our wildfire season."

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)