Katy Broquard with the Wisconsin Incident Management Team provides an update on the containment of the fire.
In the video above, Katy Broquard with the Wisconsin Incident Management Team, provides an update on the fire and efforts to contain it.
BLACK RIVER FALLS, Wis. (WXOW) – The Wisconsin DNR said that the nearly 3,200 acre Arcadia Fire is 77-percent contained as of Friday noon.
Katy Broquard, a public information officer with the Wisconsin Incident Management Team, said that all evacuation orders were rescinded as of Friday morning.
Jackson County Emergency Management told its residents that all the evacuation orders are now lifted. This includes Wyman Lake by Millston.
Arcadia Ave. between Blueberry Rd. and Smothers Rd. remains closed to non-residents. The evacuation center previously operational at the LUNDA Center is now closed.
Earlier, the DNR said in a statement that the fire has grown to 3,168 acres in Monroe County with 109 acres outside the Fort McCoy boundaries. According to the DNR, the fire hasn’t crossed over into Jackson County but is nearing the boundary with Monroe County.
The DNR said they’ve got roughly 150 people working to contain the fire.
Updating the overnight activities of firefighters, the DNR said they were working with heavy equipment to build new containment lines. They were having difficulty with directly attacking parts of the fire due to steep terrain. The DNR said crew safety was the main concern, especially ground crews, “with a focus on equipment navigating steep slopes and unimproved roads and personnel staying aware of burning and falling hazard trees on the fire line.”
So far, no injuries were reported. Three structures were damaged and one shed was lost.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The DNR said there is a team of personnel and wildland fire investigators who are trained in finding the original source of the fire. They cautioned that investigations of this kind can take a while.
The Wisconsin 511 traffic map still shows a portion of Highway 12 between Millston and Warrens as closed to traffic due to the fire.
Authorities said eastbound drivers should use County O east to I-90/94 east to County EW west to US 12. Westbound drivers should use the reverse.
The other large fire, the Jack Pine Fire in Juneau County, is contained. DNR officials said that they’ll still monitor the area for any potential flare ups. People in that area were allowed to return home Thursday evening.
Parts of Wisconsin remain under a Red Flag Warning as conditions continue to provide conditions for dangerous fires.
Have a story idea? Let us know here
