Mount Rushmore closed as South Dakota firefighters battle multiple wildfires

Mount Rushmore.
(Image credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Two wildfires near Rapid City, South Dakota, forced the closure of Mount Rushmore on Monday, as well as the evacuation of hundreds of residents.

The Schroeder Road fire is burning west of Rapid City, and has scorched around 1,000 acres. Roughly 250 firefighters are battling the blaze, which is driven by winds of 50 to 72 mph. Fire officials said two homes and several outbuildings have been destroyed, with 400 residents evacuated. This is a "very active and dangerous scene," the Pennington County Sheriff's Office said in a press release, and people are being asked to stay away from the area.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.