Rapid City, SD - The Black Hills National Forest is lighting several large slash piles today and tomorrow. Smoke will be visible on the West side of Rapid by Johnson Siding between Hwy 44 and Nemo Rd.

Terry Tompkins, AFMO on the Mystic Ranger District, said that the cold weather, short days, and long nights are ideal conditions for burning slash.

"We have adequate snow cover with a chance for more snow over the next several days, said Tompkins. "We need to burn these piles now instead of leaving them over the summer when they become a fire hazard."

Firefighters burn slash piles to get rid of needles, limbs, and tree tops that fuel hot fires in the summer time. Burning reduces the potential for fire spread and creates seedbeds for regeneration.

When slash burning is underway valley bottoms may be smoky in the late evening and early morning hours. Signs will be posted on roads surrounding burn areas to notify people that burning operations are in progress.

For more information go to the U.S. Forest Service website at www.fs.fed.us/r2/blackhills.