The South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression Division has sent some of its people to California to help fight fires.

Fire information officer Beth Hermanson said between 35 and 50 firefighting personnel from the Rocky Mountain Region, which includes South Dakota and the edges of Wyoming and Nebraska, have been sent to battle the blazes.

"As orders come in, if we've got people available to fill them, we send them out," Hermanson said.

More than 1,100 wildfires, mostly ignited by lightning, have scorched more than 770 square miles and destroyed 64 homes and buildings throughout northern and central California since June 20, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

That includes the Big Sur Fire, which had destroyed 16 homes and charred about 81 square miles of forest since it was started by lightning June 21 in Los Padres National Forest. It was only about 3 percent contained Thursday, and officials don't expect containment until the end of the month.

Hermanson said overhead managers, hand crews and engines with engine personnel have all been sent to help firefighting efforts in California.

She said local fire-management officers are watching carefully to ensure enough personnel remain in the area to fight fires that may spark here. So far, there are plenty of crews to spare, Hermanson said.

"I think we're very comfortable with what we've got here," she said. "I don't think we're at the point where we'd start saying no if we got an order."

The fire season in the Black Hills has been virtually nonexistent so far this year because of greater-than-normal precipitation.

But Hermanson said the danger is beginning to increase as temperatures rise and rains become more sporadic.

"Things are starting to dry out," she said.

Thursday afternoon, the fire danger rose to moderate after remaining low for much of the spring and summer.

Hermanson said this week, there were four fires, all of them one-tenth of an acre.

But fire danger hasn't worsened to the point at which burn restrictions would be put into place. Hermanson said there are currently no burn bans in any counties or areas in the Black Hills National Forest.

That means people will be able to have campfires and shoot fireworks in areas where doing so is legal.

Hermanson said this is the first time in a while that burn bans haven't been put into place by this time of the summer. However, she said she is confident that the public will know how to be safe, having dealt with drought and high fire danger for so long.

"People have gotten pretty fire-savvy around here," she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Contact Ryan Woodard at 394-8412 or ryan.woodard@rapidcityjournal.com