NEMO, S.D. (AP) — Authorities say three separate wildfires in the Black Hills of South Dakota have forced evacuations of at least 400 homes northwest of Rapid City and shut down Mount Rushmore.
The Pennington County Sheriff’s Department says the largest is a fire that started near Schroeder Road in the Nemo area, about 15 miles northwest of Rapid City. It had had burned as much as one-and-a-half square miles and was “still moving” on Monday evening. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, in Rapid City to oversee the response, said the fire started on private property. Officials believe a few structures have been lost to the fire but details will have to await a damage assessment.
Authorities say, despite the winds, firefighters made good progress Monday.
Two additional blazes were burning southwest of Rapid City, near Keystone. That caused Mount Rushmore National Memorial to close, as well as surrounding roads.
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