Crews douse fire at S. Indiana’s Morgan-Monroe State Forest

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Fire crews have doused a forest fire that scorched about seven acres of southern Indiana’s Morgan-Monroe State Forest.

Hikers reported the fire in the forest’s rugged backwoods area late Sunday morning and crews worked for about seven hours before extinguishing the flames.

Sgt. Jason Allen of the Northern Monroe County Fire Protection Territory says firefighters had to hike about a mile and a half with their equipment to reach the fire.

He says the crews from his district, a local volunteer fire department and the state Department of Natural Resources had to create several fire lines because changing winds spread embers through the forest, sparking smaller fires.

The fire’s cause hasn’t been determined.

The Herald-Times reports DNR officials planned to continue monitoring the area until Monday evening.