June 4, 2021 4:20 a.m.

The Mehl Creek Fire near Elkton is now 90 percent contained.

Kyle Reed of the Douglas Forest Protective Association said crews assigned to the fire continue to make good progress towards fully extinguishing the blaze.

Reed said during Thursday’s day shift, 125 firefighters worked toward extinguishing the smoking and smoldering materials with the fire perimeter. Firefighters focused their efforts on the first 50 feet in from containment lines, working to extinguish the hot spots. Reed said smoke from the interior of the fire may be visible for several more days as crews work their way farther into the fire.

Detailed mapping was completed Thursday afternoon using a handheld GPS unit. The Mehl Creek Fire officially burned 110 acres, all of which was on private land.

Reed said with increased containment levels, resources assigned to the nightshift period have been scaled back to a patrol status with several engines monitoring the fire. Firefighters will use handheld infrared cameras to help locate hot spots that produce little to no flames or smoke. Reed said smoldering packets of fuel can be hard to locate without the cameras and will be flagged to help firefighters locate them during daytime hours.