Before drenching rains hit this weekend, officials fighting the Elkhart landfill fire are reporting significant progress.

Helicopters dumped over 7,000 gallons of water on the burning landfill Thursday. They targeted hot spots that were creating issues for firefighters on the ground.

Meanwhile, Waste Management crews have completely contained the fire and have covered 90 percent of the affected area with soil. Elkhart County officials say smoldering is still occurring, but the smoke from the early fires have been “reduced significantly.”

EPA and IDEM officials are testing the air quality in areas affected by smoke the past few days. An update on the air quality has been posted on the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Department website.