Wednesday,  July 4, 2012 • Vol. 12--No. 356 • 20 of 32 •  Other Editions

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acres and 10 percent contained. Seven structures are threatened.
• The Northern Rockies Type II Incident Management Team took over management of the Parker Peak Fire on Tuesday. They are now managing that fire and the White Draw near Edgemont, the largest fire in the region at nearly 5,000 acres, or about eight square miles.
• It was 50 percent contained by midday Tuesday. Nonetheless, some 50 buildings were threatened by the blaze and more crews were preparing to assist.
• Incident commander Bob Fry said Tuesday afternoon that the White Draw Fire was in "pretty good shape."
• "We're trying to contain today or at least get a line around today. Most of our effort is going into White Draw right now," he said.
• The military confirmed Tuesday afternoon that four people had died and two oth

ers were injured when an Air Force tanker that was battling the White Draw fire crashed Sunday. The tanker was based out of North Carolina, and all the dead were from there.
• South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard directed flags in the state to be flown at half-staff on Thursday to honor the fallen airmen.
• The crash prompted the military to temporarily ground the seven remaining Air Force tankers used in firefighting.
• Six of the tankers resumed flying Tuesday, but a seventh, which was also part of the North Carolina Air National Guard, returned to its home base.
• Other fires in the region include the Highlands Fire, which has scorched about 400 acres between Newcastle, Wyo., and Custer, S.D., and was 60 percent contained, and the Soldier Fire near Beulah, Wyo., west of Spearfish, S.D., which had spread to about 5 acres and was 50 percent contained.
• The Highlands Fire destroyed five structures, including two homes, but no one was reported injured, according to officials with Great Plains Fire Information.
• The Black Hills chapter of the Red Cross found a motel room for one family displaced by the Highlands Fire and was preparing to open a shelter in Belle Fourche for people displaced by fires in Montana.
• "We have a disaster trailer that has cots and blankets," said Dan Kuecker, regional emergency services director.
• With hot, dry weather persisting, most communities in western South Dakota were calling off Fourth of July fireworks displays.
• Officials in Sturgis, Hot Springs, Rapid City and Lead have all cancelled fireworks displays because of the fire danger and also because local firefighters are helping to battle the wildfires.

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