Lightning is being blamed for four fires that erupted Friday afternoon stretching from a 100-acre fire just southwest of Hermosa to one estimated at 150 to 200 acres 3 miles southeast of Chadron, Neb.

Officials closed S.D. Highway 40 west of Hermosa as crews fought the Lakota Point Fire, according to the Northern Great Plains Interagency Dispatch Center.

The fire was estimated at 100 acres with 60 percent of it contained Friday night, according to Joe Lowe, South Dakota Wildland Fire coordinator who was on the scene. Lowe expects crews to be fighting the fire until early today.

The fire near Hermosa was moving in a southeasterly direction about 9 p.m. on Friday between Yellow Oak Road and Crooked Canyon Road, according to a news release.

S.D. Highway 40 was closed from the junction with S.D. Highway 79 to Magnuson Road. Highway 40 was expected to be opened by midnight.

Firefighters were stationed near structures in threatened areas, but some residents voluntarily evacuated along Crooked Canyon Road, White Tail Ridge Road and Magnuson Road.

Federal, state and local volunteer fire departments responded to the blaze, including the North Haines, Rapid Valley, Johnson Siding, Box Elder, Doty, Keystone, Rapid City, New Underwood, Wall, Hill City, Hayward, Hermosa, Whispering Pines, Ellsworth, Black Hawk, Rockerville and Wall fire departments. South Dakota Wildland Fire and the U.S. Forest Service also responded.

Lowe asks that people stay away from the fires.

"We just need to have the general public that is not involved in the fire operations to stay out of the area," Lowe said.

Meanwhile, firefighters were also battling the Flynn Creek Fire about 2 miles west of Custer State Park near Cicero Peak on Friday. It is estimated at 30 acres and protection is being provided to approximately 40 structures within 2 to 3 miles of the fire boundary. The National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service Crews were joined by a Type 3 helicopter in fighting the blaze. Resources fighting that fire included Custer and Doty fire departments, South Dakota Wildland Fire, and crews from Rosebud and Cheyenne River.

A third fire is estimated at 150 to 200 acres with zero containment about 3 miles southeast of Chadron, Neb. Numerous resources have responded to the fire.

The fourth fire is 8 miles southeast of Fairburn and has been contained at 25 acres. Wind Cave National Park, Custer State Park, Fairburn and Buffalo Gap fire departments have responded to that fire.

Contact Holly Meyer at 394-8421 or holly.meyer@rapidcityjournal.com.