NEAR TOFTE — A lightning strike started the wildfire within George H. Crosby Manitou State Park that has been burning since Wednesday, according to the Minnesota Incident Command System (MNICS).

The fire is now estimated at 300 acres. It is 50% contained, according to a Sunday morning update from the MNICS.

Smoke was first detected on Wednesday in a remote area near the Caribou River within the state park, with an initial size estimated at 30 acres, according to a news release. The fire grew to 50 acres by Thursday morning and to 160 acres by Thursday evening. By Saturday, the blaze had grown an additional 100 acres.

Firefighters on the ground are clearing leaf litter and other vegetation along the northern edge of the fire, and a helicopter and water-scooping aircraft are fighting the

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