Gov. Rhoden directs firefighting resources to assist rural agencies amid worsening drought
Executive order allows swifter deployment of firefighting airplanes, helicopters outside of South Dakota’s Black Hills Forest Fire Protection District
One of the worst periods of extreme drought in years has prompted South Dakota to marshal state resources in preparation for rural wildfires.
Gov. Larry Rhoden signed an executive order Aug. 18 to authorize the use of South Dakota Wildland Fire resources to assist with rural wildfires across the state, according to a news release from the governor’s office.
A previous executive order signed by Rhoden in March 2025 allowed the State to authorize the use of South Dakota National Guard resources, including Black Hawk helicopters, to combat wildfires within the Black Hills Forest Fire Protection District, a 7,704-square-mile, fire-protected area encompassing the Black Hills National Forest, Mount Rushmore National Park, Wind Cave National Park and dozens of communities in the mountainous region.
