Cottonwood Fire Evening Update, 10-17-2016

Wall, S.D. - Just before 1 pm yesterday, October 16, a wildland fire was reported 11 miles east of Wall, SD. The area was under a Red Flag Warning at the time for low relative humidity, high winds and high temps. Under these conditions, the fire spread quickly.

This release represents the most accurate information as of 4:00 pm MDT.

The fire is currently being managed by the Pennington County Type 3 Incident Management Team (PCIMT3) and is under Unified Command. Brian Daunt of the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands is in command for the October 17 day shift. Additionally, Wall, S.D. Fire Chief John Kitterman, Jackson County Emergency Manager Joshua Nisen, and Rob Lehmann of the Pennington County Incident Management Team are also commanding the incident. The PCIMT3 took over management of the fire around 6 pm MDT last evening.

The fire is called the Cottonwood Fire. The fire is currently located 11 miles east of Wall, SD to 10 miles south east of Cottonwood, SD and north of I-90. 

Due to better mapping and the ability to evaluate the fire perimeter in the daylight, the Cottonwood Fire is estimated to be 31,000 acres. GPS mapping of the perimeter of the fire is underway. due to the fire size and terrain influences, a time-frame to complete that mapping is unknown.

The fire is 75% contained as of 4:00 pm today.

Today, firefighters have been able to secure containment lines that were in place at the beginning of today's shift. Firefighters have been working hard around structures that were successfully protected from yesterday's fire fronts to mop-up hot spots and locate areas of heat.

Fire crews are still working as of 4:00 pm to determine the number of structures destroyed.

In addition to structures destroyed, livestock losses have been reported. As of 4:00 pm, 137 head of cattle have been reported killed to the Jackson County Sheriffs Office. This number may increase over the coming days.

In addition to structures burned, power lines were damaged during the fire. As of 4:00 pm MDT, West River Electric Association and West Central Electric Cooperatives report no residential outages in the area. These rural electric cooperatives should be applauded for their quick and efficient work in restoring power to their customers and for their professional assistance to firefighters. One bridge was destroyed by the fire. There are currently no road closures in the fire area. Motorists in the fire area are encouraged to use caution.

The fire is burning on private land as well as the Buffalo Gap National Grassland.

There are no road closures in effect at this time and I-90 currently has no restrictions in the fire area. Smoke should no longer pose a risk to motorists. The fire area will be clearly visible to travelers on I-90. Drivers are asked to remain alert and do not be distracted by the fire. Additionally, there is a high volume of emergency vehicle traffic between Kadoka and Wall on I-90. Travelers in this area should remain alert for the increased traffic.

There are currently nearly 100 personnel working on the fire. At its peak, close to 300 firefighters were fighting the fire. Firefighters from 10 Western South Dakota counties came to assist. Pennington, Lawrence, Meade, Custer, Haakon, Jackson, Jones, Mellette, Bennett, and Stanley Counties sent resources. The majority of these firefighters were area volunteers. This highlights the “neighbor helping neighbor” mentality of South Dakotans. It also showcases interagency cooperation between Federal, State and Local resources. Resources are being ordered for overnight operations.

The American Red Cross, serving Central and Western South Dakota, has been on scene since late Sunday afternoon providing rehabilitation for firefighters. They are prepared to transition into a disaster relief and recovery role.  

A fire investigator arrived today and was able to confirm that the fire is human caused. The investigation is ongoing.

Additional written updates will be provided as new information becomes available. The next scheduled written update is set for 10:00 am MDT on Tuesday morning. Periodic updates can be found by following the PCIMT3 Twitter feed, @PennCoIMT3. A media briefing will take place at 8:00 am Tuesday morning at the Incident Command Post at the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site at I-90 Exit 131.

Media outlets seeking comment or clarification can contact Incident Information Officer Jim Bussell at (605)-863-0061.

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