In the early morning hours of Tuesday, July 18th, members of the park’s structural fire brigade were contacted by a resident of the town of Interior regarding a large multiple structure fire which was occurring on Main Street. The party reported that the warehouse utilized by the park’s natural history association was in flames. Two adjoining buildings, including the town’s post office, were also on fire, and the town’s only grocery store was in danger of becoming involved in the blaze. The intensity and size of the fire made it visible from park concession facilities approximately three miles away. The Interior Volunteer Fire Department was on scene and attempting to contain the fire with several engines, but the department is not equipped with any structural fire gear or personnel protective equipment. A size-up conducted by the park’s chief fire officer determined that the post office and probably the grocery store would be lost if an interior attack was not made. To complicate matters, two large propane tanks on the outside of the grocery store were in danger of catching fire from an expanded vegetation fire started by the burning buildings. Volunteer departments from the towns of Wall and Kadoka were requested but had a 30 minute response time. Park firefighters deployed an exposure line, began roof operations, and made an aggressive interior attack using positive pressure ventilation. Within 20 minutes, park firefighters had stopped the fire’s extension through the post office and saved the two structures. When additional fire engines arrived, ventilation operations and a building search of the grocery store were conducted by the Wall Fire Department. Numerous fire ground problems had to be overcome during the operation, including dead and low water pressure hydrants. Park fire officers had to take an active role in directing other volunteers and alerting personnel to a number of safety issues, including fire engine placement within potential building collapse zones. Following the relocation of one such community engine, an exposed exterior wall collapsed onto the street. The poorly placed engine would have been damaged by the falling wall if it had not been moved. No injuries occurred during the three-hour operation. Had it not been for the quick interior fire attack conducted by the park fire brigade, all four structures would have been lost. The economic impact to the local community would have been tremendous. The park’s natural history association estimates its loss alone at more than $340,000. The South Dakota Fire Marshall’s Office was notified and a formal investigation into the cause of the fire has begun.
