BISMARCK TRIBUNE STAFF
No structures were lost and no injuries were reported when several wildfires broke out north of Bismarck over the weekend and scorched 2,300 acres.
Meanwhile, Burleigh and Emmons counties have joined Morton in imposing burning restrictions amid tinder-dry conditions that have sparked multiple fires in western North Dakota this month. And fire restrictions have been imposed on more federal lands in the state.
Multiple fire departments responded to the fires burningnorth of Bismarck, near Double Ditch, on Saturday evening, amid gusty conditions as a cold front moved through, authorities said.
Authorities received the initial report of the fire near North Dakota Highway 1804 at mile marker 102 just before 5 p.m., according to an incident report. Winds were gusting as high as 34 mph.
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The fires were reduced to one by about 8 p.m. Saturday. Two North Dakota Army National Guard Black Hawk helicopters were deployed to the blaze, to dump Missouri River water on the flames using big buckets.The 3 ½-square-mile Double Ditch Fire was 80% contained by Sunday morning and fully contained by afternoon, according to the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services. Crews remained on scene to take care of hot spots. There was no immediate word on the cause.
Burn bans
Burleigh and Emmons counties on Saturday both declared a fire emergency and instituted burn restrictions effective immediately until rescinded or through Nov. 15.
The burn restrictions are in effect when the North Dakota Rangeland Fire Danger Rating is in the high, very high or extreme rating, or a red flag warning has been issued warning of critical fire weather conditions. The rating was high in nearly all of North Dakota on Sunday.
Open burning is banned. That includes campfires, controlled burns, farmland burning, fireworks and garbage burning. Unnecessary off-road motorized travel also is restricted.
Controlled devices such as grills and patio fireplaces are not included if they are on a hard, nonorganic surface and 15 feet away from vegetation, and an extinguisher or water is available on site.
People who violate the restrictions could be subject to a Class B misdemeanor charge, which carries a maximum punishment of 30 days in jail and a $1,500 fine.
Morton County commissioners on Thursday declared a similar fire emergency and burn ban.Many other western counties also have burning restrictions in place. More information about burn restrictions and fire danger is atndresponse.gov/burn.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management on Saturday implemented fire restrictions on agency lands in the Dakotas. The rules are in effect in the North Dakota counties of Dunn, McKenzie, Williams, Golden Valley, Stark and Bowman and the South Dakota counties of Butte, Custer, Fall River, Haakon, Harding, Lawrence, Meade, Pennington, Perkins, Stanley and Ziebach.
The restrictions prohibit campfires and smoking outdoors. Between the hours of 1 p.m. and 1 a.m. several other things are banned, including shooting a gun if not hunting, and operating motorized vehicles off designated roads and trails. Legal hunting is not restricted.
The U.S. Forest ServiceDakota Prairie Grasslands office last week issued an emergency fire order for all National Forest System lands within Billings, Golden Valley, Grant, McHenry, McKenzie, Ransom, Richland, Sioux and Slope counties, as well as for the South Dakota counties of Corson, Perkins and Ziebach. The rules impact campfires and stove fires, other fires, smoking and motor vehicle travel on prairie roads.
Dakota Prairie Grasslands also closed some National Forest System roads in the area of theElkhorn Fire in northwestern North Dakota in the interest of safety.
The Elkhorn Fire burned more than 10,000 acres. It was 75% contained on Sunday, as was the nearby Bear Den fire, which scorched almost 12,000 acres, according to the state Department of Emergency Services dashboard. Those fires were fueled earlier this month by drought and winds gusting to near 80 mph. The causes are under investigation.
There is no rain in the National Weather Service state forecast this week until Thursday, when there is a slight chance of showers in the west.
An online resource hub set up by Emergency Services to aid wildfire victims can be accessed athttps://bit.ly/4eBfRiB.
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