North Dakota shares update on battle to contain more than a dozen wildfires statewide

by Ken Duffy
May 6, 2025
1:38 pm
Bakken Buzz Newspaper (News Content), Featured Stories, Local News, News, Regional News

Bismarck, N.D. – North Dakota has activated the State Emergency Operations Center to help assist localities with battling more than a dozen wildfires that are currently burning statewide.

Since Sunday, the state Department of Emergency Services says the SEOC is currently at Level 2. It can be raised as high as Level 4.

The move allows the state to deploy much-needed resources, which include National Guard helicopters that can assist with saving properties.

As of Monday, the state is tracking 16 wildfires, most of which have been contained.

The toughest to extinguish appear to be on the Turtle Mountain Reservation.

So far, a series of 3 fires have burned more than 4,000 acres of land on the reservation with up to 15 structures that are threatened by the flames.

The department says heavy timber is holding in heat that can lead to the restarting of new fires, which is said to be happening each day.

Fire engines from South Dakota and Montana, along with an additional Black Hawk helicopter, were even called in to fight and contain a fire in the Mandaree area on Monday.

The state has been holding readiness calls every two weeks, as an elevated fire danger is expected through the weekend.

Here’s a list of the fires and their containment levels:

May 5 Fires:

Turtle Mountain (3 distinct fires / 1 fire complex)