So far this year there have been no major wildfires in South Dakota, but the state has seen a blanket of smoke drifting in from fires burning across the drought stricken west. Hundreds of homes have been lost to wildfire this year across the country. But officials say homeowners can take steps to protect their own property before a fire hits.
SDPB's Charles Michael Ray recently spent time with Lieutenant Tim Weaver of the Rapid City Fire Department at the Fire Wise Demonstration Landscape. It's located at the Outdoor Campus West in Rapid City. The area shows off a number of fire resistant native plants alongside landscape and building ideas to inspire homeowners who want a better chance of surviving a wildfire.