July 29, 2025:
Nicholas (Nick) Van Dam has been identified as the 37 year old firefighter from Murdo who died in a single vehicle crash Saturday evening (July 26, 2025, at 6:50pm) four miles north of Draper.
Van Dam was enroute to the War Creek (grass) Fire in rural Jones County.
Preliminary crash information from the South Dakota Highway Patrol indicates Van Dam was driving a 1989 Ford Fire Tender northbound on 279th Street while responding to a fire north of Draper. The vehicle left the roadway, rolled and ejected Van Dam, who was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Information from the Great Plains Fire information website says the fire was caused by humans and was burning on both federal and private land.
A statement from the Murdo Volunteer Fire Department says Van Dam had been a member for eight years, serving as a captain for the past six years. He leaves behind his wife and four children.
The MFD asks that people respect the Van Dam family’s and the Department’s privacy while they grieve this loss. Information about a memorial will be released as those details are arranged.
For additional information, contact Brent Long with the South Dakota Local Assistance State Team (SD-LAST) at 605-877-2840.
The South Dakota Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. The Highway Patrol is an agency of the South Dakota Department of Public Safety.
July 27, 2025:
Jones County, S.D.- A Murdo firefighter died enroute to a large grass fire in a single vehicle crash Saturday evening (July 26, 2025), four miles north of Draper, SD.
The name of the person involved has not been released pending notification of family members.
Preliminary crash information indicates the driver of a 1989 Ford Fire Tender was traveling northbound on 279th Street while responding to a fire north of Draper. The vehicle left the roadway, rolled and ejected the driver, who was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The South Dakota Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. All information released so far is only preliminary.
The Highway Patrol is an agency of the South Dakota Department of Public Safety.
Below is the statement released by the Murdo FD:
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