.png)
The U.S. Forest Service is working to reduce waste material that could contribute to forest fires in western South Dakota's Black Hills.
Crews in the Black Hills National Forest are burning slash piles - leftover branches and limbs from pine trees that have been cut down and hauled away. Smoke will be visible and might impact communities for the next several weeks.
Fire Management Officer Todd Pechota says there needs to be at least 2 inches of snow on the ground for slash pile burning. He says with recent snowfall and the extended forecast, conditions are ideal.
