Auburn Fire Completely Circle By Lines, But Containment Still Only 50%

The Auburn Fire, burning since Monday just north of Rapid City, was listed at Tuesday’s last update at 6:00 as 964 acres with containment at 50%.

All evacuations and road closures that had been put into effect on Monday were lifted last night at 6:00. 

     The Great Plains Fire Information Center in Rapid City says most of Tuesday’s work was to strengthen fire lines that had circled the entire fire by 8:00 in the morning.

     Incident Commander Tim Daley says most of the growth in acres yesterday was the result of better mapping, burnouts to strengthen the lines, and pockets of fuel inside the lines catching fire. 

      Similar unburned pockets are expected to be lost to the fire today, sending up new pillars of smoke but not threatening the containment lines. Mop-up is already underway on the south side of the fire.  

      Gov Kristi Noem and Sec of Public Safety Craig Price flew to Rapid City yesterday for a look at the fire and to get first-hand updates. Noem praised firefighters and the inter-agency cooperation of the operation.

Meanwhile, local, state, and federal firefighters are battling a fire on the Pine Ridge Reservation about 14-miles east of Hermosa near Red Shirt.

     The Red Shirt Fire was reported about 1:15 yesterday afternoon. The most recent update at 4:30 PM listed it at 650 acres.

      There was no report on containment, but the 3 single-engine air tankers and a spotter plane from the Civil Air Patrol were all released by 4:30. The cause of the Red Shirt Fire is still unknown.