Officials with Custer State Park say fire crews continue to make progress against the Legion Lake Fire. The fire has burned more than 53,000 acres.
Park representatives say the fire is 50 percent contained. Authorities with Custer County Emergency Management say all evacuation orders are lifted.
Authorities say a fallen power line caused the blaze. Rob Powell is the Incident Commander with Rocky Mountain Team Blue. He says no major buildings in Custer State Park have been lost.
"We’ve lost no structures in the park. None of the cabins at Blue Bell, Legion Lake, State Game Lodge...we did lose an old pump house facility that hadn't been used on the initial start of the fire," Powell says."
Custer State Park remains closed to ensure public safety. Officials there say they have found the Park's buffalo herd and a herd of elk. Powell says he saw some buffalo that were affected by the fire.
"I do know the Custer State Park buffalo herd were on the south part of the fire. They took a pretty good hit. I've seen, personally, some buffalo that have been singed and burned. But as far as I know, there have been no fatalities regarding the buffalo, but they're gonna be stressed, for sure," Powell says.
He says park officials will continue to determine the effect on wildlife. Custer State Park superintendent Matt Snyder says private landowners and neighbors need hay due to the wildfire. Hay and monetary donations are being managed by Farm Rescue, a nonprofit organization.
Parts of State Highway 87 and U.S. Highway 16A near Custer State Park are also closed. Most of Wind Cave National Park is also closed to visitors.
Officials say the blaze continues to burn north of Fusion Canyon. Firefighters will continue to hold the line there and west of South Dakota Highway 79.