2025 South Dakota wildfires

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2025 South Dakota wildfires

The 2025 South Dakota wildfires are a series of active wildfires currently ongoing in South Dakota.

Background

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South Dakota Drought Monitor at its peak on March 25, 2025
Main article: List of South Dakota wildfires

Spring Fire Season

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Spring in South Dakota is marked by increasing temperatures and decreasing humidity, creating favorable conditions for wildfires. The Grassland Fire Danger Index is issued daily during this period, indicating elevated fire risk. The Black Hills National Forest also experiences increased fire activity during these months. Notably, the 2000 Jasper Fire—the largest wildfire in South Dakota’s history—occurred during this season.[1]

Summer Fire Season

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From June through August, warmer temperatures and potential Drought conditions increase, further increasing fire risk. The Black Hills National Forest continues to experience heightened fire activity during this period.[2] The White Draw Fire in 2012, which resulted in the tragic loss of four lives due to a firefighting aircraft crash, occurred in June, highlighting the dangers associated with summer wildfires.[3]

Year-Round Fire Potential

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While the spring and summer months are the primary fire seasons, wildfires can occur year-round in South Dakota. The state's diverse landscapes and varying climatic conditions contribute to the potential for wildfires at any time. For instance, the Legion Lake Fire in 2017, which burned over 53,000 acres, occurred in December, demonstrating that fire risk persists beyond the traditional fire seasons.[4]

List of wildfires

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The following is a list of fires that burned more than 1,000 acres (400 ha), produced significant structural damage, or resulted in casualties.

Name County Acres Start date Containment date[a] Notes Ref
Route 13 Ziebach 33,928 March 10 March 20 From three fires merging together. Burned about 8 miles (13 km) south of Faith. [6][7]
South Tripp Tripp 2,000 March 14 March 15 [8]
War Creek Jones 2,602 July 26 July 29 Human-caused. Burned 15 miles (24 km) south of Fort Pierre. [9]
Map
Perimeters of wildfires in South Dakota during 2025 (Red: >1000 acres) (map data)

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Containment means that fire crews have established and secured control lines around the fire's perimeter. These lines are artificial barriers, like trenches or cleared vegetation, designed to stop the fire's spread, or natural barriers like rivers. Containment reflects progress in managing the fire but does not necessarily mean the fire is starved of fuel, under control, or put out.[5]

References

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  1. ^ O'Bryan, Miranda (August 24, 2020). "20th anniversary of largest wildfire in South Dakota history". KOTA-TV. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  2. ^ Peters, Gerhard; Woolley, John T. "Grover Cleveland: "Proclamation 392 - Withdrawal of Lands for the Black Hills Forest Reserve, South Dakota," February 22, 1897". The American Presidency Project. University of California - Santa Barbara.
  3. ^ "SD fire slows, but toll includes tanker crash". The Denver Post. Associated Press. July 2, 2012. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
  4. ^ Lim, Katrina (December 12, 2018). "A look back at the Legion Lake Fire one year later". KEVN. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
  5. ^ "What containment and other wildfire related terms mean". Los Angeles: KCAL-TV. September 12, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  6. ^ "Route 13 Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved March 11, 2025.
  7. ^ "2025-Route 13 Fire-SDCRA". InciWeb. Retrieved May 31, 2025.
  8. ^ "South Tripp Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
  9. ^ "War Creek - Wildfire and Smoke Mao". data.usatoday.com. Retrieved July 27, 2025.


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