BROWN COUNTY, Ind. — A fire broke out at Brown County State Park on Sunday and continued into Tuesday, burning an estimated 100 acres before it was brought under control Wednesday.
The brush fire started Sunday around 5:30 p.m. on the east side of the park, away from any buildings or structures.
Fire personnel from local departments, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the Indiana Department of Conservation arrived shortly after the fire began.
They assessed the fire as large but slow-moving.
Fire crews spent the night battling the blaze, but eventually had to stop late Sunday night due to safety reasons, Indiana DNR said.
A 10-person crew returned at 7:30 a.m. Monday. Indiana DNR said that due to the challenging terrain, they would be primarily working the fire and didn't ask for any additional help from local fire departments.
PHOTOS: Firefighters battle blaze at Brown County State Park
Although the crew's goal was to have the fire under control Monday, a five-person DNR crew returned Tuesday to work the fire.
A spokesperson with Indiana DNR confirmed no fire has been detected beyond the fire lines by Tuesday afternoon. While there are some horse trails in the remote area of the park where the fire is burning, most of the trails and other recreational activities were still operating normally as of Tuesday afternoon.
In an update on Wednesday, Indiana DNR said the fire was under control and state park staff are continuing to monitor it.
There is a fair amount of large, downed trees that will continue to produce smoke until there is significant rainfall, so people will continue to see it. Park recreational facilities continue to operate normally, as they have throughout the fire.
The state park posted that no structures were damaged and no one was injured in the fire. While the park and trails are open, visitors should expect to see smoky conditions lingering for a few days.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
