AFTERNOON UPDATE OCTOBER 7, 2021:
The size of the Auburn Fire has been mapped out and determined to be 968.17 acres so far. Containment is at 70%.
8:15AM UPDATE OCTOBER 7, 2021:
Investigators have determined the cause of the Auburn Fire at Rapid City was accidental.
The Great Plains Fire Information update from yesterday afternoon (Oct. 6, 2021), says South Dakota Wildland Fire and the Rapid City Police and Fire Departments have determined the blaze started “due to mechanical failure of earth moving equipment.” The groups say, “The earth moving equipment had been sitting in a field and had not been operated for a long period of time. There is evidence to confirm these findings. The fire started on private property within city limits and quickly spread outside of the city.”
Great Plains Fire Information says today (Oct. 7, 2021), firefighters will continue with extensive mop up and rehab operations. The rehab plan includes rehabbing and seeding dozer lines, fixing fences that were cut during firefighting operations and fixing roads and trails that firefighting equipment may have damaged.
The Auburn Fire started Monday (Oct. 4, 2021).
Screenshot image from Great Plains Fire Information website.
6PM UPDATE OCTOBER 5, 2021:
Great Plains Fire Information released the following update about the Auburn Fire burning near Rapid City.
- Containment is now at 50%. Acreage remains the same at 964.
- Tuesday (Oct. 5, 2021) firefighters secured fire line using burn out operations and continued the mop up effort. A large slash pile ignited within the fire perimeter, firefighters suppressed this area with resources from the ground and in the air to include an Air Attack plane, a Type 1 helicopter, and a Large Air Tanker (LAT).
- Tonight firefighters will continue with an overnight operational shift. Fire crews will maintain a presence in the area and monitor structures near the fire, reinforce containment lines, and extinguish hot spots.
The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office says all fire evacuations, pre-evacuations and road closures were lifted at 6pm Tuesday. Only local residents are being allowed in the area so as not to disrupt firefighters.
Night briefing Oct. 5, 2021, for the Auburn Fire near Rapid City.
Photo credit Great Plains Fire Information.
Oct. 5, 2021, Auburn Fire near Rapid City.
Photo credit Riley Stevens with South Dakota Wildland Fire.
Oct. 5, 2021, Auburn Fire near Rapid City.
Photo credit Silver City Volunteer Fire Department.
South Dakota Wildland Fire engine Oct. 5, 2021, Auburn Fire near Rapid City.
Photo credit Riley Stevens with South Dakota Wildland Fire.
9:30AM UPDATE OCTOBER 5, 2021:
Fire crews continued to work the lines of the Auburn Fire overnight north of Rapid City.
The fire, which was reported around 1:30 yesterday (Oct. 4, 2021) off Henderson Road, has burned between 500 and 750 acres of grass and timber.
Great Plains Fire Dispatch says overnight, firefighters took advantage of favorable weather conditions and conducted a burnout operation near Deadwood Avenue. The burnout was to assist in slowing and stopping the spread to the west and increasing containment lines.
The fire is listed at 25% containment.
Evacuation areas remain in place this morning. They include the Marvel Mountain area and areas north and east of Deadwood Avenue, including Edgewood Estates, Pinecrest Village and Kimberly Circle.
A pre-evacuation advisory is still in effect for residents south of Elk Creek Road north of the Pennington County line, east of Erickson Ranch Road and west of Haines Avenue.
Several roads are closed in the fire area, including Peaceful Pines Road and Deadwood Avenue north of the Interstate, and Lofty Pines Road at Erickson Ranch Road.
So far, no structures have been reported as lost.
The Rapid City Air Tanker Base has been reopened and the large air tanker will be available for use today if needed.
Near critical fire weather conditions are expected again today, with high temperatures and low humidity with southerly winds.
(KOTA Radio contributed to this story.)
ORIGINAL STORY FROM OCTOBER 4, 2021:
RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — A large grass fire is forcing people to evacuate in north Rapid City. The Rapid City Fire Department says the fire began at about 1:30 p.m. Monday (Oct. 4, 2021) and had grown to about 100 acres by 4 p.m. The cause of the fire was being investigated, but the flames were being fueled by abnormally high temperatures, gusty winds and drought-like dryness. Mandatory evacuations were being enforced in the Marvel Mountain neighborhood. It was not immediately clear how many residents were affected.
Auburn Fire at Rapid City Oct. 4, 2021.
Auburn Fire at Rapid City Oct. 4, 2021.
Auburn Fire at Rapid City Oct. 4, 2021.
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