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Black Hills Fox: Crews test skills in live fire exercise [1]
It may have been a training operation, but firefighters were nevertheless dealing with the real thing southwest of Custer on Friday. Forest Service firefighters were engaged in what is called a live fire exercise in which a section of forest is burned off to give firefighters a chance to contain and control it. The training included instruction in building fire lines and mop-up operations.
The exercise, which took place in the Martin Prescribed Fire Area, is part of the preparation for the upcoming wildfire season in the Black Hills.
Nebraska veteran trainee Steven Jostes [2] says, "The group that I'm with: there's about twenty or so veterans. We're part of the Veterans Fire Corps and the Student Conservation Association. And so we've come from across the country."
The firefighters taking part in the training were from several states including Nebraska, Montana, Colorado and Wyoming.
