BISMARCK, N.D. – The State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) has been activated to Level 2 out of 4 since Sunday as the state has deployed resources to multiple ongoing fires across North Dakota, including National Guard helicopters credited with saving homes.
Led by ND Department of Emergency Services and the ND Forest Service, Unified Command has been tracking 16 wildland fires burning yesterday, many of which were able to be contained by local first responders with neighboring mutual aid.
Fires burning in the area of the Turtle Mountain Reservation in north-central North Dakota, however, are located in a heavy timber area that is holding heat and causing fire restarts. In addition, there have been several new fire starts each day. Ground crews assisted by aerial surveys estimate there are three distinct fires with multiple columns and smokestacks that have been merging and dividing.
Protecting homes and other structures continues to be the main concern as an estimated 10 to 15 primary structures are still threatened by each fire in the Turtle Mountain area. The North Dakota Forest Service credits aerial support from a North Dakota National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter with water bucket to have successfully saved several residences. At this time, only one abandoned trailer home is believed to have been lost.
On Saturday, the North Dakota Forest Service sent two engines and firefighters to Turtle Mountain at the request of local incident command. Additional resources have been dispatched to the area, including additional North Dakota Forest Service engines, a truck from the Department of Emergency Services, and ND Wildland Task Force members from Kindred, Devils Lake, Burlington, Bismarck Rural, and Williston fire departments. Single Engine Air Tankers flew the fire on Sunday, followed by one North Dakota National Guard Black Hawk dropping water on Monday. Civil Air Patrol flew the area Monday to provide intelligence on the fires, including locating fire starts and hotspots undetectable from the ground. Aerial support will continue today at the request of local incident commanders.
A temporary flight restriction was put in place over the Turtle Mountain fire complex to ensure a safe airspace for aviation support. The use of drones makes emergency aerial operations unsafe and is restricted at this time.
An additional North Dakota National Guard Black Hawk was dispatched to the Mandaree area fire Monday to aid ground crews in difficult terrain inaccessible by fire engines. Additional resources were also requested, including two engines from South Dakota and three engines from Miles City, Montana. The Williston Fire Department also supported the fire as part of the ND Wildland Task Force, as did other local and tribal fire departments under mutual aid requests.
Additional fires, now considered contained, also received state support including a fire in Hazen where North Dakota Forest Service dispatched Dickinson Rural and Gladstone through the state ND Wildland Task Force. A fire in Rolla on Sunday caused evacuations.
The state has been hosting bi-weekly readiness calls and pre-positioning firefighting resources across North Dakota since March, when Gov. Kelly Armstrong declared a statewide fire emergency and activated the State Emergency Operations Plan.
The State Emergency Operation Center and Unified Command will continue to work with appropriate agencies and jurisdictions to provide a common operating picture and to dispatch resources and aid upon request.
The weather and ground conditions are forecasted for elevated fire danger through the week, especially into the weekend. As always, learn before you burn at NDResponse.gov/burn.
May 5 Fires:
Turtle Mountain (3 distinct fires / 1 fire complex)
- Incident Commander: Belcourt Fire Department
- Size: estimated size of the combined fire complex is 4,200 acres
- Containment: unknown
Three Affiliated Tribes (2)
- Incident Commander: U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs
- Size: estimated 1,800 acres
- Containment: 40%
- Incident Commander: Mandaree Fire Department
- Size: estimated 200-300 acres
- Containment: 100%
Pembina County (1)
- Incident Commander: St. Thomas Fire Department
- Size: unknown
- Containment: 100%
Barnes County (1)
- Incident Commander: Enderlin Fire Department
- Size: unknown
- Containment: 100%
Griggs County (1)
- Incident Commander: Cooperstown Fire Department
- Size: 1 acre
- Containment: 100%
Nelson County (2)
- Incident Commander: Lakota Fire Department
- Size: 10 acres
- Containment: 100%
- Incident Commander: Dahlen Fire Department
- Size: unknown
- Containment: 100%
Dickey County (1)
- Incident Commander: Ellendale Fire Department
- Size: unknown
- Containment: 100%
Grand Forks County (1)
- Incident Commander: Larimore Fire Department
- Size: unknown
- Containment: 100%
Logan County (1)
- Incident Commander: Lehr Fire Department
- Size: unknown
- Containment: 100%
Cavalier County (1)
- Incident Commander: Walhalla Fire Department
- Size: unknown
- Containment: 100%
Wells County (1)
- Incident Commander: Fessenden Fire Department
- Size: unknown
- Containment: 100%
Burke County (1)
- Incident Commander: Powers Lake Fire Department
- Size: unknown
- Containment: 100%
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For More Information, Contact :
Alison Vetter, Strategic Communications Chief
North Dakota Department of Emergency Services 701-328-8154
alvetter@nd.gov