Lawrence County Community Wildfire Protection Plan - Black Hills ...

general weather patterns, producinglocalized weather conditions that influencefire behavior. Fires starting at the base ofslopes become larger and more intensebecause of availability of up-slope fuels.As slope increases, rate of spread andflame lengths also increase. Thetopographic configurations of narrowcanyons pose dangerous conditions thatShout “Watch Out” for fire suppressioncrews. The fuels on these slopes are alsopreheated from the sun and may producemore erratic fire behavior. Down slopeareas adjacent to structures need toincrease the amount of survivable spaceto provide additional protection to thesevalues from wildfire. We cannot controlwhen or where fire will occur but withproactive planning and preparedness wemay be able to lessen the impact it has onlife, property and resources.WeatherCurrent weather patterns are creatingdrought conditions in Lawrence County thatmay be contributing to the risk from wildfire.The overall climate of the Black Hills areais continental, which is characterizedgenerally by low precipitation, hotsummers, cold winters and extremevariations in both precipitation andtemperatures. Local climatic conditions areaffected by topography, with generally lowertemperatures and higher precipitation at thehigher altitudes. Research indicates thathistorically there have been long durationsof drought and wet periods dating back asfar as the 1600’s. Long periods of droughtdirectly affect tree mortality, insect activityand possibly contribute to more severe firebehavior.During fire season in western SouthDakota, when the winds are from the souththe temperatures are usually higher and therelative humidity is usually lower. Theseconditions are conducive for fires to easilybecome large conflagrations that are hardto manage. Large fires also occur that arewind driven events. The spread rate anddirection vary according to predominantwind direction, topography, fuel conditionsand relative humidity.Water SourcesThe municipalities of Lead,Deadwood, Central City, Pluma, Spearfish,Whitewood and St. Onge all havepressurized water systems with hydrants.The water sources in the rural areas ofLawrence county may be limited to dryLawrence County Community Wildfire Protection Plan 9