South Dakota Fires: Mount Rushmore Closed Due To Wildfires That Are '0% Contained'

Three different wildfires broke out Monday in South Dakota, prompting the evacuation of over 400 homes and the closing of Mount Rushmore until at least Wednesday.

The first fire was the largest. It started on private property near Schroeder Road in the Nemo area just west of Rapid City at about 9:20 a.m. local time, the Weather Channel reported. Since Monday, it has burned at least 1.5 square miles and was still on the move. The fire is reportedly 0% contained.

The dry conditions in the area, as well as the high winds, contributed to the Schroeder fire. Nearly 250 firefighters have sought to contain the blazes, the Rapid City Journal reported.

"We are at record-dry conditions along with high winds playing a major factor in this fight," Jay Esperance, the division director for South Dakota Wildland Fire, said Monday in a statement posted on Facebook.

The two other wildfires are located near Keystone, which caused the closing of Mount Rushmore National Memorial as well as the surrounding roads. One blaze covered about 75 acres, while the other was downsized from 30 acres to 15 acres.

The National Weather Service explained that while the blazes have calmed in Rapid City, critical fire weather conditions are still in effect on Tuesday in Western South Dakota.

In June 2020, a 150-acre fire burned near Mount Rushmore.