VIDEO: Wildfire season in Western South Dakota is approaching as temperatures begin to rise. To prepare, it's important to understand the differences in vegetation and how they burn across the region's distinct habitats: the Black Hills and the Western Plains.
Mike Reed, District Program Manager at SD Wildland Fire, says, "In the plains area, it’s grass field type. The primary carrier there is grass, and then until you get into some of the river breaks, and we'll have some timber in there."
Reed says that in the Black Hills, the primary vegetation consists of Ponderosa pine trees, with a grass or brush understory. Understory refers to the fuels on the forest floor. In the Black Hills, it's essential to manage the understory burn while preserving the canopy of trees to maintain the ecosystem's health.