LAKE MARY RONAN - The Elmo Fire is at 66% containment after burning over 21,000 acres and the areas around it — including Lake Mary Ronan, are starting to open back up.
Fire crews are still in the area taking care of and monitoring some of the hot spots that are still burning.
A hotshot crew at Lake Mary Ronan Lodge told MTN News on Thursday that they will be moving out on Saturday and a Type 3 Incident Management Team will come in to continue the mop up — as long as the progress remains steady on the containment.
The lodge is back to full operations including its dining services. Additionally, the state park is also fully open, but campers have yet to rush back in.
“The next few days, the rest until this weekend is over with, is kind of sparse. Everybody's heard about the fire and they decided to stay away for a while, so we were absolutely full when the fire started so it will be nice to get back that way,” said Lake Mary Ronan State Park campground host Dennis Evans.
As long as the weather and fire permit, the second annual Seaplane Invasion will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday on Lake Mary Ronan with around 40 seaplanes landing. The pilots will park the planes, enjoy lunch, and live music with the spectators.
