Date: October 30, 2016
Agency: Morton County & North Dakota National Guard
Contact: Morton County PIO (701) 426-1587 or (701) 595-3596 or NDNG PIO (701) 333-2170
Mandan, N.D. - Fire crews and the North Dakota National Guard were dispatched to respond to a large fire in rural Morton County.
The fire was reported at 1:00 a.m. on the west side of 1806, west of the Backwater Bridge. The fire was located on private property. Mandan Rural Fire responded to the fire. However, due to the terrain, Mandan Rural was unable to access the fire.
At around 8:45 a.m. aviators with the 1st Battalion, 112th Aviation Regiment (Security and Support), flew two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters with 600-gallon water buckets to the affected area south of Mandan.
"Public safety is paramount and with the chance of high winds today we needed to completely extinguish the fire to prevent damage to property and injury to those in the area." Maj. Gen. Alan Dohrmann, North Dakota National Guard Adjutant General.
The National Guard suppressed the fire and no damage to or loss of infrastructure was reported.
The Morton County Sheriff's Department is investigating the fire and will request assistance from the State Fire Marshall.
Highway 1806 remains closed due to fire damage to the Backwater Bridge.
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