News Release

Rankin Fire Update 9/15/2017

Date: September 15, 2017
Contact: Tom Farrell, 605-574-1725

Rankin Fire Update
September 15, 2017 – 10:00 am
 
Rocky Mountain Incident Management
Team Black Shane Greer,
 
Incident Commander Information Center: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Hours of Operation: 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
 
Current Situation: Fire crews continue to make good progress on containment of the Rankin Fire and the fire is now 90% contained. There was no new growth of the fire yesterday however the acreage did increase to 2,133 acres due to better mapping. On Friday, crews will continue to improve containment lines and mop up the few remaining hot spots. Fire behavior is expected to be minimal due to the cooler temperatures and rain.
 
As fire containment objectives are met, firefighting resources are being released and made available for other fires.
 
Weather: Temperatures will be cooler with a highs around 62-64 degrees. Light rain is expected to continue until noon with showers becoming more scattered in the afternoon. Winds will be north to northeast at 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 22 mph.
 
Safety: Travelers along US Highway 385 and State Route 87 through the park are encouraged to use caution as fire traffic will continue to be heavy along this corridor at times.
 
Closures: All trails north of and including Wind Cave Canyon Trail are closed for firefighter and visitor safety. NPS 5 is now open
 
Fire Statistics:
Start Date: 09/11/2017
Location: 12 miles Southeast of Custer, SD
Cause: Lightning Size: 2,133 acres
Containment: 90%
Personnel: 202
 
More Information:
InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5613
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WindCaveNPS/
Info Line: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]