Mine Draw Fire burns 60 acres

Over 100 firefighters aided by several aircraft battled a wildfire in Custer State Park last Wednesday and Thursday. The Mine Draw Fire, located between Hwy. 16A and Center Lake, was reported at 11:19 a.m. Wednesday and was said to be 100 percent contained as of 2 p.m. Thursday. 
For a time, Hwy. 87 North (Needles Highway) was closed between the intersection with 16A and Playhouse Road. Two helicopters were used to dip water out of a nearby lake to dump on the blaze and an air attack airplane was also used.
At one point the fire burning in timber and grass was estimated at 150 acres, but in the end the total acreage was lowered to just 60 acres. 
In an unusual move, the South Dakota governor’s office took over the public information role on the fire. Some speculate that may have been due to the event’s proximity in time and distance to the Mount Rushmore fireworks display scheduled for Friday, July 3. 
The cause of the fire was still listed as unknown Monday on the Great Plains Fire Information website. However, the Rocky Mountain Area Coordina-tion Center site listed the blaze as human-caused. 
Three more small wildfires apparently started by lightning were fought between Friday and Monday in Custer County. 
The Lime Wildfire five miles northwest of Custer was reported about 8:30 a.m. and was out by noon. It burned a tenth of an acre.
On Saturday the Schenk Wildfire 19 miles west northwest of Pringle burned one acre and the Teepee Canyon Wildfire half a mile east of the Teepee Work Center near Jewel Cave had burned two tenths of an acre as of Monday afternoon. 
 

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