A South Dakota wildfire has destroyed one building and forced residents from five homes to evacuate as it burned more than 3,000 acres in Custer State Park.
The Legion Lake Fire started around 7.30am on Monday and continues to burn with zero per cent containment, park officials said in a press release Tuesday.
A cause for the blaze remains under investigation, although park superintendent Matt Snyder said Monday that the fire appears to have started from a downed power line from a fallen tree, the Rapid City Journal reports.
Two hundred firefighters were on scene to battle the Legion Lake Fire, which started in South Dakota on Dec 11
A firefighter uses a drip torch to make a fire line Monday while battling the Legion Lake Fire in Custer State Park in South Dakota
One unused building was destroyed in the South Dakota wildfire
The Legion Lake Fire started around 7.30am on Monday in Custer State Park in the Black Hills
Overnight, the fire burned an additional 500 acres bringing the total to an estimated 3,000 plus acres.
The park said protecting structures and other buildings remain a top priority with focus being placed on the Blue Bell Lodge area, State Game Lodge, the park headquarters, Star Academy East and Legion Lake Lodge area.
So far, one unused building in Custer State Park in the Black Hills was destroyed and five homes were evacuated. No one has been injured.
Five homes had to be evacuated because of a wildfire in South Dakota. No injuries have been reported
The Legion Lake Fire continues to burn with zero per cent containment, park officials said
Officials are trying to keep the wildfire west of Wildlife Loop Road, north of Ridge Road, north of Ridge Road and Lame Johnny, east of Highway 87 and south of US Highway 16A
Officials are also working to scout potential fire lines and are trying to keep the blaze west of Wildlife Loop Road, north of Ridge Road and Lame Johnny, east of Highway 87 and south of US Highway 16A.
‘Conditions are very serious with all fire fuel extraordinarily dry for this time of year. High winds are expected to pick up again in the evening and remain strong into Wednesday and Thursday,’ the park said.
The Legion Lake Fire has grown to a type two and is being managed by the Rocky Mountain Team Blue.
As of Tuesday, 200 firefighters were on the scene to try and control the blaze.
The park said wildlife are not in danger because they ‘are used to wildfire and are naturally avoiding dangerous areas’.
Jay Wickham with the South Dakota Wildland Fire management department in Custer State Park told the Rapid City Journal that most of the effort now is being ‘put toward stopping the forward progress of the fire’.
Park officials said wildlife are not in danger because they naturally avoid wildfire areas
Officials said effort now is being put towards stopping the forward progress of the fire
Custer State Park, as well as roads in and out of it, are closed and will remain closed as firefighters battle the Legion Lake Fire
Custer State Park, as well as roads in and out of it, remain closed.
The Legion Lake Fire isn’t the only blaze wreaking havoc. Firefighters in southern California have been busy battling the Thomas Fire in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties for the past week.
The massive blaze, which is the fifth largest in California history, has destroyed more than 680 homes and forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate, a spokesman with the Santa Barbara County Fire Department said.
Still among evacuees due to smoke Tuesday were Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Eric Burdon and his wife, Marianna, of Ojai.
Last week, Burdon wrote on Facebook about having to flee and returning temporarily to find their home still standing with ashes all around.
The weather service said that if the long-term forecast holds, there will have been 13 consecutive days of dry offshore flow before it ends Friday afternoon.
High fire risk is expected to last into January.
The Thomas Fire in southern California has been burning for the past week
Tens of thousands of people had to evacuate their homes and more than 680 homes were destroyed by a massive wildfire in southern California
The Thomas Fire in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties in southern California is said to be the fifth largest wildfire in the state’s history