9:50am – According to the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office: No homes were lost in this fire. Three small outbuildings and a small camper were burned. No animals were injured by fire.

RAPID CITY, S.D. – Firefighters in the Black Hills made significant progress overnight on the Coyote Flats Fire, though critical weather conditions today continue to threaten containment lines. The wildfire, located south of Rockerville and southwest of Rapid City, is currently estimated at 400 acres.

Pennington County authorities lifted several evacuation orders late Wednesday after crews successfully halted the forward progress of the flames. The Pennington County Emergency Management office reported that the “Go Now” status was downgraded to include only the immediate footprint of the fire, allowing many displaced residents to return to their homes.

The Rockerville Volunteer Fire Department confirmed that the blaze was stopped near the intersection of Neck Yoke Road and Coyote Flats Road. Despite the progress, the department cautioned that the danger has not fully passed.

“Tomorrow will be another important day for us on the Coyote Flats Fire,” the department stated in a social media update yesterday. “We need to continue mopping up and make sure our containment lines hold. There were many structures threatened, including our fire station which is also surrounded by black.”

The National Weather Service in Rapid City has issued a Red Flag Warning for Thursday, effective from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. MDT. Unseasonably warm temperatures approaching 80 degrees, combined with relative humidity as low as 10 to 20 percent and westerly wind gusts up to 40 mph, are expected to create extreme grassland fire danger across western South Dakota.

Heavy smoke remains visible in the area of the fire this morning. Public safety officials are urging motorists to drive slowly as they head to school and work, noting that heavy fire traffic will persist on Neck Yoke Road between Coyote Flats and Pine Grove Road throughout the day.

“We do have firefighters and emergency vehicles working throughout the area, and we’re asking everybody to avoid the area that allows for us to operate safely and effectively,” said Tessa Jaeger, public information officer for the Rapid City Fire Department. “When we have people that are trying to come and look at the fire, it makes it difficult and blocks roads for the firefighters.”

For those with livestock concerns, the Central States Fairgrounds in Rapid City remains available for sheltering animals. Local residents can coordinate with law enforcement at road closures on Neck Yoke Road at Spring Creek Road and South Rockerville Road for potential escorts.

The cause of the Coyote Flats Fire remains under investigation.