ABERDEEN, S.D.(Aberdeen American News)- At least two fires in the Aberdeen area were apparently caused by fireworks Saturday night.

At 9:57 p.m., the Aberdeen Rural Fire Department was called to a vegetation fire at 12864 W. Pleasant Valley Drive. Pleasant Valley Estates is along 129th Street west of U.S. Highway 281 as it leads to Richmond Lake.

It appears a firework landed in the yard and started the fire, said Mark Stoks, Aberdeen Rural chief. Flames got near a home, but it didn’t catch fire and nobody was injured, Stoks said.

People were working to put out the flames when firefighters arrived. Crews were only on the scene for 10 or 15 minutes, he said.

Aberdeen Rural also helped with a fire near Ordway that was reported at 10:56 p.m. near the intersection of 125th Street and 390th Avenue. Stoks said that fire was also caused by fireworks. Some trees and vegetation were damaged, but no buildings, Stoks said.

That call was just west of the Ordway bridge, he said. The Columbia Rural Fire Department was the prime responding agency.

Aberdeen Rural was also at Richmond Lake for the annual fireworks display Saturday night. Stoks said a couple of spot fire started that needed to be put out. That usually doesn’t happen, he said, but it’s been an usually hot and dry spring and summer so far.

Were the fire department not on hand and would have had to respond, the fires near Richmond could have grown into big ones, Stoks said.

Sunday wasn’t much of a holiday for the Aberdeen Rural Fire Department.

The department responded to eight fires, all of which were fireworks-related, said Chief Mark Stoks.

Sunday, the calls started at 12:56 p.m. and went into the early morning hours of Monday.

The biggest fire was reported 1:36 p.m. near the intersection of 135th Street and 382nd Avenue. Stokes said it burnt 106 acres, including some soybeans, about 30 hay bales and some land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program.

The Warner, Stratford and Ipswich fire departments helped put out the flames, and TDO Farms assisted with water and a disc. One other local farmer also helped out, Stoks said.

Crews were on the scene for about three hours. Stoks said he believes citations were issued as a result of the fire.

The good news from Sunday is that there were no injuries that he knew of and no buildings were damaged.

Stoks said he knew there would be some fire reported, but there were more than expected. By the time it was 8 or 9 at night, firefighters decided they would just stay at the rural fire hall just south of town between calls.

Mother Nature was of no help as the high temperature was 100, it was breezy and there was no sign of rain.

Other calls Sunday into Monday were at:

• 12:56 p.m. at 125th Street and 390th Avenue.
• 7:07 p.m. at 1191 S. Melgaard Road.
• 8:10 p.m. at 127th Street and 387th Avenue.
• 10:32 p.m. at 3257 S. 388th Avenue.
• 10:50 p.m. at 130th Street and 385th Avenue.
• 11:48 p.m. at 131st Street and North 385th Avenue.
• 12:35 a.m. Monday at Richmond Lake spillway