Chadrad.com

Citing better weather conditions and hard work, officials say the

fire is now 50 percent contained. Fire information officer Julie

Molzahn said in a news release that 292 people were fighting the fire,

aided by a helicopter doing water drops. The news release said 22 structures

and 31 outbuildings were still threatened by the blaze.

Earlier Monday, a shift in the wind helped crews build fire lines

in areas that burned the previous day, fire spokesman Brian Scott

said. "A little bit here and a little bit there we'll burn, but

hopefully not a lot today," Scott said Monday.

No people or livestock had been harmed by the fire that was

sparked by a vehicle Friday afternoon in the Edgemont area, about

80 miles southwest of Rapid City.

Capt. Ruth Castro, a spokeswoman for U.S. Northern Command at

Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, said the plan was

flying from that base. Six people were aboard, but no other

information was immediately released.

Relatives of Lt. Col. Paul Mikeal, of Mooresville, N.C.,

said they were told he was killed in the crash. Three people were

retrieved from the wreckage and taken to a Rapid City hospital, the

Fall River County Sheriff's Office says.

The military initially grounded the remaining seven C-130s,

But has since lifted the no-fly ban and reinstated their use. The

Planes have been filling up with fire retardant and flying out of

Peterson Air Force Base to fight fires in Colorado, Wyoming,

Montana, and South Dakota.

All eight C-130s were dispatched to Peterson Air Force Base in

Colorado Spirngs last week to fight Colorado wildfires. The C-130

can drop 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in less than five

seconds, covering an area one-quarter of a mile long by 100 feet

wide, and can be refilled in less than 12 minutes, according to the

Defense Department.

Castro said the Charlotte, N.C.-based tanker made at least two

drops of retardant on the White Draw Fire on Sunday before crashing

at about 6 p.m.

The fire was burning mainly on U.S. Forest Service land,

although residents of five homes were asked to evacuate voluntarily

over the weekend.

Steep terrain, rattlesnakes and hot, dry weather challenged those

battling the fire. The National Weather Service has forecast temperatures

in the 90s through the end of the week.

Frank Maynard, Fall River County's emergency management

director, described the terrain as "very, very rugged, straight up

and straight down cliffs." "You could take a vehicle in there, if you

wanted to get rid of the vehicle when you're done," he said.

Rancher Mark Hollenbeck said he will have to sell most of his

250 cattle and 200 sheep because the fire burned about 1,000 acres

of grass on his 1,600-acre ranch five miles north of Edgemont. He

also expects to lose customers at the guest lodge he runs on his

ranch because the scenery now features blackened pastures.

The rancher also said he was upset because fire crews were

called away from his ranch early Saturday morning, when they were

making progress in snuffing out the flames while the wind was low

and the humidity was high. Hot, dry winds later in the day fanned

the flames and burned more of his property, he said.

"It means I'm going to be selling livestock because I have lost

a considerable amount of my grazing, which means I will lower my

income potential for the next several years," Hollenbeck said.

Scott said he did not know anything about pulling firefighters

off Hollenbeck's ranch Saturday, but he said crews are trying to

save ranchers' grass after first protecting the lives of

firefighters and the public.

"We all know grass is king out here," Scott said. "For these

ranchers, that is their livelihood."

Comments: