Flames 30 to 50 feet high and heavy smoke are expected when Black Hills National Forest crews burn several large slash piles west of Rapid City next week.

However, barring unexpected wind shifts, the smoke should not interfere with traffic on S.D. Highway 44 or Sheridan Lake Road, according to a Mystic Ranger District announcement Wednesday. Crews typically start burning early in the day, but winds and other weather conditions will affect the starts of the prescribed fires.

The mounds of small limbs, trunks and forest material from tree thinning are piled along Highway 44 near the Falling Rock scenic area and the Hisega community. Burning also is planned near Sheridan Lake and Boulder Hill Road.

The burning is expected to continue all week, district assistant fire management officer Terry Tompkins said in a news release. Tompkins said the piles need to be burned now so they do not become a summer fire hazard.

The crews are planning to burn areas spread over 3,500 acres.

Signs will be posted on roads surrounding the burn areas to notify people that burning operations are in progress. Crews will also notify surrounding areas prior to ignition.

For details, go to www.fs.fed.us/r2/blackhills.