Firefighters are battling to protect several homes and other structures. Officials say the fire crossed Highway 385 at the old Rifle Pit Campground, forcing the South Dakota Highway Patrol to close the highway between Pringle and Wind Cave. Voluntary evacuations have been ordered along Beaver Creek Road, Rifle Pit Road, Flynn Creek Road to Apple Valley and at the Elk Mountain Campground. Great Plains Interagency Dispatch says more than 200 personnel are working the blaze. Six helicopters and at least one air tanker are fighting the fire from above Thursday night. Fire officials estimate the fire at 1,000 to 1,500 acres in size and they say they have no containment. Again, about 50 residents have been told to evacuate and the Black Hills Area Chapter of the American Red Cross has set up a shelter in Custer to assist those residents. In addition to the Myrtle Fire, smaller wildfires popped up Thursday four miles north of Pactola and two miles east of Sheridan Lake.

Al Van Zee/ Black Hills FOX News Staff