Resources for residents in the Rochford Fire District and surrounding areas:
Mountain Pine Beetle Information:
Black Hills Fire Restrictions
Pile Burning Assistance
From Firewise www.firewise.org
From the US Forest Service www.fs.fed.us
From the US Fire Administration www.usfa.fema.gov
Mountain Pine Beetle Information:
- Go to www.beatthebeetles.com for information on the Mountain Pine Beetle and what you can do about it.
Black Hills Fire Restrictions
- Open fires in the Rochford Fire District fall under the regulations of the Black Hills Forest Fire Protection District. Open fires are prohibited unless in a designated campground or picnic area; private property locations must obtain permits for open burning, fireplaces and incinerators through the SD Wildland Fire Suppression Division Office in their area.
Pile Burning Assistance
- The Rochford Volunteer Fire Department will consider all requests to burn small slash piles on private property within our district boundaries. A small slash pile is defined by the State of South Dakota as "... a brush pile constructed by hand, usually no larger than 4 to 5 feet in height, and 6 feet in diameter..."
- At this time we will not consider burning large slash piles on private ground. A large slash pile is defined by the State of South Dakota as "...a mechanically constructed pile that is associated with a commercial logging sale or land development activity. These piles can only be lit under certain conditions, given that these piles can loft hot firebrands for a half-mile or more and smolder for weeks after lit. It is important for fire prevention purposes that a piece of heavy machinery, such as bulldozer, skid-steer loader or tractor is a available to work these large piles as they burn down." We recommend contacting your local State fire office for more information and assistance.
- Property owners must first possess a valid burn permit, in their name, for the time period requested. If you wish to request assistance we recommend a one month window. Burn permits can be obtained by calling 800.275.4955 Monday - Friday 8am to 4:30pm or by applying online at SDDA Burn Permits.
- As a small, all-volunteer department, we cannot guarantee that we will have the personnel available to burn piles on your property, but we will do the best we can to assist you.
From Firewise www.firewise.org
From the US Forest Service www.fs.fed.us
From the US Fire Administration www.usfa.fema.gov