UPDATED STORY: 10:33 A.M.
SPEARFISH, S.D. — Firefighters responded to a wildfire near Spearfish Peak this week, where smoke was seen rising from the canyon rim and emergency crews were dispatched to the area shortly after noon Wednesday.
The fire follows a separate wildfire reported August 19 on the east side of Spearfish Canyon. Responding crews initially found the blaze inaccessible from the canyon and rerouted through Christensen Drive to attack the fire from the east. Firefighters from the U.S. Forest Service, South Dakota Wildland Fire Division, and the Spearfish Fire Department quickly contained the fire to about three-tenths of an acre.
Officials determined that the fire was caused by a lightning strike from storms that moved through the area the previous night. Meanwhile, personnel with the Spearfish Fire Department continued working the newer fire near Spearfish Peak Wednesday afternoon. As of the latest reports, the cause and size of that fire had not been released.
