HOT SPRINGS -- The Alabaugh Fire could easily have destroyed many more homes than it did, and only the heroic efforts of firefighters prevented more devastation, according to Frank Maynard, Fall River County emergency manager.

The fire last July south of Hot Springs destroyed 33 homes, killed one resident and injured two firefighters.

"The potential was there to lose many many more structures. … The fire people did a fantastic job on structure protection, defending homes that were nondefensible. It was due to very heroic efforts on their part," Maynard said.

Maynard said the fire underscored the need for residents to protect their homes from fire by clearing nearby trees and brush.

From a broader perspective, he said, "We need to put in fire breaks and clean up road areas so we can stop large fires and contain them to certain geographic areas."

Joe Lowe, the man in charge of fighting the Alabaugh Fire, said one of Alabaugh's lessons for firefighters is: Expect the unexpected.

Firefighters on Alabaugh encountered some of the most extreme fire conditions ever seen in South Dakota, said Lowe, who heads the state Division of Wildland Fire Suppression.

Especially during extreme drought, which has gripped southwestern South Dakota, "We're going to see fire behavior we've never seen before," Lowe said.

The lightning-caused fire blew up about midnight on July 7, roared up the rim of Alabaugh Canyon and began destroying houses.

Lowe said the high winds made it difficult to hit the fire with air drops, which typically are suspended when winds reach 25 mph because it's difficult to drop the slurry on the target.

But Lowe said the state's firefighting procedure remains the same: hit big fires fast and hard.

Lowe, of course, also believes in "fire-wise" techniques to make homes more defensible in wildfires.

"Anytime you put a house at the head of a fire, at the top of a slope, with unfavorable terrain and you didn't clear the fuel, it's usually very difficult to defend that home," he said.

The fire also underlined the need for safety for firefighters, Lowe said. Two U.S. Forest Service firefighters, who were overtaken when winds shifted during the first night of the fire, suffered hand and facial burns. Both men sought cover in a tent-like shelter designed for one person.

The Forest Service hasn't released the final report on the incident, but the undisclosed details have prompted the agency to order additional training for its firefighters.

Lowe said he has reinforced existing safety procedures for his state firefighters, too, including: "Have your protective clothing on, and never leave your vehicle without full protective clothing, top to bottom."

Lowe said Alabaugh also showed the importance for residents of getting out quickly. One local resident, David Beeman, was killed when he went back into his house.

"We had more than one case of people wanting to stay and protect their home. That's a tough situation for a firefighter," Lowe said. "The environment was barely tenable for firefighters to stay there."

Lowe said it's human nature to try to protect one's home. "But the public's main duty is to be there after the fire for their family."

One homeowner, Michael Hackenbruch, said evacuation efforts could have been handled better. Hackenbruch said he was never notified to evacuate and barely escaped alive when the fire roared up over the canyon rim and began burning his house shortly after midnight.

"The 911 system failed," Hackenbruch said last week. He said the county required rural residents to change their addresses for the new 911 system. Although at least some residents were told to evacuate, he said, "Nobody came to my house." He said he might have been able to save a few more personal possessions, including two motorcycles, if he had been warned in time.

Fall River County Sheriff Jeff Tarrell, however, said the 911 system did not fail. "There were three evacuation orders that evening. The first was for four houses in Pine Shadows (subdivision). The second one was for Cascade Mountain Subdivision, north of Pine Shadows."

But Tarrell said the third evacuation came after the fire blew up about midnight, and deputies weren't able to notify everyone. "When that fire blew, it moved so fast there wasn't time to notify anybody," Tarrell said.

But Tarrell said Alabaugh has changed how local officials will respond the next time. "This was not a standard fire. I don't think anybody really knew how bad it was until afterward," he said. "Because of that, we're going to assume the worst in the future."

Maynard, the emergency manager, acknowledged that the county's 911 system is not fully in place. "We are in the process of getting that up to speed."

Maynard also said some residents were not notified because, after the fire blew up, it was impossible to get into some areas.

Lowe said, overall, the response to Alabaugh went well.

He praised the cooperation among the fire agencies, the sheriff's office, emergency management, the county commissioners and volunteer agencies.

"The community was incredible. That community really pulled together," Lowe said.

"When you have an incident like this, you see the best in people and the worst. In this case, we saw the best."