Custer State Park will officially reopen in full capacity today after a fire that started Dec. 11 burned more than 84 square miles of the park and beyond.
Jay Esperance is the director for the South Dakota Department of Agriculture’s Wildland Fire Division—the group tasked with prevention and control of wildfires on state land. He says although his Custer State Park based section was able to respond very quickly, it didn’t take long to know they were going to need additional resources to put the Legion Lake Fire out.
Esperance says they made some progress containing the fire Dec. 11 and 12, but then the wind came up.
Esperance says local, state and federal agencies as well as area farmers and ranchers all worked together to protect structures and put the fire out.
Custer State Park officials continue to work on fencing, trail and road repairs as well as assessing the wildlife. Visitors are asked to report injured or deceased wildlife to the park office.
(Dakota Radio Group)