12/17/2025
Person rescued from burning vehicle after crash sparks grass fire near Mission
MISSION, S.D. — A bystander rescued a person from a burning vehicle after a crash sparked both a vehicle and grass fire five miles east of Mission on Tuesday, according to preliminary information from the Mission Volunteer Fire and Rescue.
Emergency crews were dispatched shortly before noon to Highway 18 for a report of a vehicle that had left the road, struck a power pole and caught fire. When firefighters arrived, they found a complex and dangerous scene: a vehicle engulfed in flames in a pasture, a grass fire spreading from the vehicle, a downed power pole and electrical lines, and a patient receiving assistance from law enforcement.
Mission Volunteer Fire and Rescue said preliminary information indicates the patient was pulled from the burning vehicle by a bystander before first responders arrived.
Firefighters were able to extinguish both the vehicle fire and the grass fire.
Multiple agencies responded, including Mission Volunteer Fire & Rescue, Rosebud Sioux Tribe Ambulance Service, Todd County Sheriff’s Office, Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, Cherry-Todd Electric and local ranchers.
Photo courtesy: Mission Volunteer Fire & Rescue
