Alert: 9 Wildfires Burning in South Dakota

High winds and dry conditions are sparking wildfires across South Dakota. The map above indicates the general area in which these fires are burning as of Thursday, April 14, 2022.

A couple of notable fires include a 92-acre fire in Stanley County near Hayes, South Dakota, and a 9-acre fire near Lake Andes. Another hotspot is just a few miles northwest of Rapid City.

Red Flag Warnings were issued due to the strong winds between 30 and 60 mph.

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The majority of the state's fires are along the South Dakota - Nebraska border.

The northern half of the state is clear from fires after a healthy dose of snow earlier this week.

Sunday afternoon, U.S. Highway 19 was closed near Vermilion after a large grass fire broke out, according to CBS14 Fox 44 Siouxland News. That fire also destroyed a barn and a bridge.

Last week, central Nebraska had a tragic fire that claimed 30,000 acres and left scores of livestock dead.

"It’s pretty well understood that global warming is fueling a growth in explosive wildfires." ~ Darren Clabo, state fire meteorologist for South Dakota

The spring vegetation "greening-up" has yet to occur and the small amounts of snow we received over the winter have left very dry conditions heading into what has so far been a very windy spring.

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.

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