Playhouse Fire contained March 14

On March 14 a fire was reported southeast of Keystone in the area of Playhouse Road and Greyhound Gulch Road. 

In response to this call, agencies including Battle Creek Fire Department, Rockerville VFD, Hill City VFD, South Dakota Wildland Fire, U.S. Forest Service, Pennington County 911 and Great Plains Fire Dispatch responded to the site of the Playhouse Fire. 

According to Steve Long, public information officer and fire prevention program manager for South Dakota Wildland Fire, the Playhouse Fire was two tenths of an acre. It was contained March 14 and controlled by the afternoon of March 16. 

“The volunteer firefighters who responded to this fire did a great job. It was a team effort, and their work is much appreciated,” said Long. 

Although it was originally reported that the fire escaped from a couple of slash piles, Long said that “South Dakota Wildland Fire is required by law to determine the origin and cause of wildfires within our jurisdiction. The official cause of this fire remains under investigation.” 

However, on the topic of burning slash piles, Long said, “Never leave a burning slash pile unattended. Don’t burn when it’s windy. The slash pile burning season ends March 31 each year. 

“As the fire burns down, use a rake to move the material back and forth making sure there are no hot embers remaining. Make sure your fire is out and cold to the touch with your bare hand before leaving it for the day. Come back the next couple of days and check to make sure there are no spots that are warm to the touch with your bare hand.”