Wildfire burns 425 acres at Indiana Dunes National Park

Fire crews Monday said a wildfire had been contained to 425 acres of Indiana Dunes National Park in northwest Indiana.

The fire started Friday afternoon and had burned about 300 acres of Miller Woods at the Indiana Dunes by about 6 p.m. that day, national park spokesman Micah Bell said.

By Monday, the fire had spread to 425 acres of the woods but was declared “controlled,” meaning it was “fully contained and has no opportunity for growth in size,” Bell said.

No injuries or private property damage have been reported, Bell said.

In a satellite photo shared by the national park Saturday, smoke from the wildfire could be seen extending about 80 miles north onto Lake Michigan.

The area around Miller Woods is closed as fire crews work to put out the blaze, but the national park expects to reopen the woods to visitors “in the next several days,” Bell said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.