File:Long Draw and Apple Tree prescribed fires in the Black Hills of South Dakota (MODIS 2016-11-06).jpg

English: In early November 2016, two prescribed fires were burning in the Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this true-color image of the two fires on November 2.

The fire in the north is the Long Draw Fire, which was ignited on November 1 and aimed to burn 1,100 acres as a low intensity fire. The project, which was located about 5 miles south of Hill City, SD, was to lessen the severity and extent of future wildfires by reducing fuel loads, to stimulate browse for big game species such as elk, to think pine regeneration and increase base heights of trees.

In the south, the Apple Tree fire was ignited on November 2 with a planned burn of about 624 acres in Custer State Park. This fire, funded by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, helped to meet land manage objectives to improve wildlife habitat, provide quality forage and reduce hazardous fuels to minimize the risk of future wildfires that may burn hotter and damage crowns of trees.