Stutsman County residents urged to skip controlled burns amid fire danger

Brian Paulson is telling Stutsman County residents to put off controlled burns because dry ground and strong winds have created a fire setup that can turn dangerous in minutes. For farmers, rural homeowners and anyone thinking about burning brush or debris, the warning is simple: a small pile fire can become a fast-moving grass fire before anyone has time to react.

Paulson, the fire chief for the Jamestown Rural Fire Department, said the pattern has the potential for extreme fire behavior. That matters in a county where the rural footprint is large and where the Jamestown Rural Fire Department says it protects one of the biggest fire districts in North Dakota. The department has protected life and property since 1949, and its own burn ordinance underscores how seriously local officials treat open burning when conditions turn dry.

The danger is not limited to one farmyard or one section of road ditch. Stutsman County’s fire-danger page says residents must verify current restrictions before burning or taking part in outdoor activities because conditions can change during the day, and the county says its fire-danger map is updated each morning. That warning is aimed at the kind of spring work many residents are trying to finish now, including field cleanup, ditch clearing and debris burning around homes and farm sites.

The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for Stutsman County and nearby Logan, McIntosh, LaMoure and Dickey counties on April 23, citing winds around 30 mph with gusts to 50 mph and relative humidity as low as 23 percent. The weather service said any fire that ignites could spread rapidly and become difficult to control. In that kind of setup, flames can move through grass, crop residue and roadside vegetation, then threaten homes, shops, machinery, livestock and the people trying to stop them.

State agencies have long warned that uncontrolled wildland fires often start from inadequate controlled-burn precautions, along with lightning, smoking and sparks from farm machinery and trains. North Dakota records about 1,800 fire incidents each year, and state guidance says fires in high-fuel areas can quickly flare out of control and damage crops, livestock, wildlife, habitat and structures. The North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality also says approved open burning does not override local bans or restrictions, making county rules the standard residents must follow before lighting anything outdoors.