North Dakota Archives - Wildfire Today

Update on the fire in Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Bill GabbertApril 9, 2021WildfireHorse Pasture Fire, North Dakota

The fire in North Dakota has burned about 5,000 acres

7:07 p.m. MDT April 9, 2021

Below is an update on the Horse Pasture Fire in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. It was released by the Park Service Friday afternoon April 9, 2021.

Fire activity on the Horse Pasture Fire remained high on Thursday, however no new growth was reported. Strong winds continued to be a challenge for firefighters, as they worked to keep the fire within established firelines. Flare ups were visible as large pockets of unburned fuel within the perimeter were consumed.

As of Thursday evening, the fire is estimated to be 5,000 acres in size with 70% containment. The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the area through Friday evening, with winds forecasted from the northwest at 20 mph with gusts as high as 30 mph. Red Flag conditions may continue into the weekend.

Over 80 firefighters from state and federal agencies are working to suppress the fire.

Initial Attack resources assigned to the Horse Pasture Fire were dispatched Thursday evening to assist with a new fire southwest of Williston near Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site.

Several closures remain in place. The North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park remains closed. The McKenzie Ranger District of the Little Missouri National Grasslands closed the CCC Campground, the northernmost portion of the Maah Daah Hey Trail, the Long X and Sunset Trail, Summit Campground, and the Summit Overlook, and Viewpoint Trails.

Map Horse Pasture Fire April 7, 2021 — Map of the Horse Pasture Fire, April 7, 2021.

North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park still closed due to wildfire

Bill GabbertApril 6, 2021April 7, 2021WildfireHorse Pasture Fire, North Dakota, Theodore Roosevelt National Park

The Horse Pasture Fire has burned about 5,000 acres in North Dakota

MD-87 drops on the Horse Pasture Fire in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, April, 2021. Photo courtesy of NPS.

The National Park Service said Tuesday morning that the Horse Pasture Fire which has required the closure of the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, has grown to about 5,000 acres. A portion of the 2,000-acre increase over the size announced Monday is a result of burning out to secure firelines. The fire is also burning in the Little Missouri National Grassland north of the park.

The cause is still under investigation. Light winds Monday night and expected on Tuesday had fire personnel optimistic as they continue to contain the blaze. At this time, there is no reported structure damage, but the CCC campground and other infrastructure in the park are still at risk, as well as some private residences on the north end of the fire.

As of 6 p.m. Tuesday afternoon the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park was still closed due to the fire.

Map of the Horse Pasture Fire showing heat detected by a satellite as late as 3:06 p.m. MDT April 5, 2021.

Dry, windy conditions put North Dakota firefighters in a precarious position Saturday

Bill GabbertApril 5, 2021April 5, 2021WildfireNorth Dakota

Extreme fire behavior near Williston, results in a destroyed fire engine

wildfire Williston, ND April 3, 2021 — Firefighters retreat from flareup at wildfire near Williston, ND April 3, 2021. Screenshot from the Angela Black video below.

When I first saw the video below shot April 3 north of Williston, North Dakota, I thought there may have been a small explosion such as from a propane tank or a gasoline container. But apparently the fire just hit some ladder fuels and closely-spaced trees, which in the dry, windy conditions resulted in multiple-tree torching.

The video is very brief and shaky, and it does not provide context for much of the fire behavior that existed before the flareup, but the increase in fire intensity appeared to be sudden and unexpected. Judging by the speed with which the firefighters retreated, it was definitely a surprise.

At the very end, note how several small spot fires appear on the passenger side of the fire engine.

A pickup truck that at first could not be seen behind the fire engine, backed away very quickly, and the three dismounted firefighters expeditiously utilized their escape routes.

A representative of the Williston Rural Fire Protection District told Wildfire Today that the fire was within their district, and the truck that was abandoned and destroyed was from the City of Williston Fire Department.

“Everyone was OK besides a few minor burns,” the representative told us. “Gusty winds led to the rapid growth into the pine trees which became fully engulfed very quickly as you can see. No structure or vehicle caused the explosion. Western North Dakota is in an extreme drought and the fires are showing extreme behavior. We are witnessing fire behavior that we haven’t seen in our area for decades, only speaking for NW North Dakota. That fire consumed 2,000-2,500 acres which is the largest in our District in recent history (3-4 decades).”

The video was shot by Angela Black.

Drought Monitor, created March 31, 2021. NOAA.

Areas in south-central North Dakota and Western South Dakota are under Red Flag Warnings on Monday, along with areas in Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico.

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Scott.

Wildfire forces closure of North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Bill GabbertApril 5, 2021April 6, 2021WildfireHorse Pasture Fire, North Dakota, Theodore Roosevelt National Park

The Horse Pasture Fire has burned about 3,000 acres in the North Dakota park

Map of the Horse Pasture Fire in North Dakota showing heat detected by satellites as late as 5:18 a.m. MDT April 5, 2021.

The Horse Pasture Fire in North Dakota has prompted the closure of the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

Firefighters have conducted firing operations along two roads in the park near the Visitor Center, US Highway 85 and Scenic Drive, to stop any further spread to the south. Incident Commander Jay Mickey told Wildfire Today Monday morning that the firing went well in that area, but they are concerned about strong north winds that are in the forecast. The National Weather Service predicts for the fire area on Monday, 18 mph winds out of the north gusting at 21 to 28 mph with 22 percent relative humidity and a temperature 53 degrees.

Horse Pasture Fire in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Photo by Nick Ybarra. Posted by the NPS April 5; date taken unknown.

Mr. Mickey said the fire has burned approximately 3,000 acres.

The Horse Pasture Fire started on National Grasslands north of the park on April 3 but as of Sunday night about two-thirds of the blaze was inside the park.

Mr. Mickey, the Incident Commander on the Type 3 incident, is the Assistant Regional Fire Management Officer for the National Park Service’s Midwest Region and works out of their office in Omaha.

Monday morning the park’s website included an alert announcing the closure of the North Unit. The South Unit is still open.

Firefighter injured in rollover in North Dakota

Bill GabbertMarch 31, 2021April 1, 2021Wildfireinjury, North Dakota, rollover

Elevated and critical fire weather predicted for large areas of the central U.S. on Thursday

fire in North Dakota near McVille — A fire in North Dakota March 31, 2021 near McVille. Photo by Megan Overby.

A North Dakota firefighter working on a grass fire was injured in a vehicle rollover Monday.

From the Bismark Tribune:

…Visibility in the area was near zero at times Monday and caused one firefighting truck to roll off the side of the road, Richardton Fire Chief Jason Kostelecky said.

One of the firefighters inside sought medical help for injuries suffered in the crash, but his scans did not indicate serious problems, said the chief of the all-volunteer fire department. The vehicle, a pickup with a pumping unit, was damaged but some components might be salvaged.

Like in Wyoming and South Dakota Monday where very strong winds caused a number of wildfires to grow large, the conditions were similar in North Dakota.

Due to the extreme fire danger that the area is still experiencing on Wednesday, the state is beefing up their firefighting resources due to drought. The Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control has deployed two of their wildland fire engines to assist firefighters in North Dakota. The crews from Alamosa and Montrose are expecting to be on a two week assignment.

On Wednesday the South Dakota Governor declared a state of emergency to run through June 1 due to “severe drought and dangerous fire conditions,” a news release from the governor’s office said.

“This executive order is in response to the numerous fire incidents occurring throughout the state. The order will allow the state to provide greater assistance to the response efforts of local and volunteer firefighters,” the release said.

The Schroeder Fire that burned more than 2,100 acres Monday just west of Rapid City, SD prompted the evacuation of about 500 homes.

Elevated and Critical fire weather is predicted for large areas of the central United States on April 1, 2021

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Dick and Dan.

Rainfall in western states slows wildfire season in many areas

Rainfall last 2 weeks washington oregon — Rainfall last 2 weeks, Washington and Oregon

Rainfall over the last two weeks has slowed or in some cases, ended the wildfire season in some areas.

On October 19 we ran the numbers for the accumulated precipitation for the last 14 days in the western states. These maps show amounts that exceeded 0.05 inches at some of the Interagency Remote Automatic Weather Stations (RAWS).

Washington, Oregon, and northern California have received a good soaking and I would imagine that local fire officials may be declaring an end to the fire season. Of course this is not unusual for these areas this time of the year, and some locations had already seen their season end. But what IS unusual, is the high amount of moisture that occurred in just two weeks.

You can click on the images to see larger versions.