Fire Officials Warn Of Dry Grass, Wind

Fire officials in Roosevelt County are issuing warnings about fire risk from windy conditions and a lot of tall, dry grass. At press time April 16, a red flag warning had been issued by the National Weather Service in Glasgow due to gusty winds and steep drops in relative humidity.

Froid Volunteer Fire Department Chief Cam Friede told the Northern Plains Independent that area residents should be especially careful in coming weeks: “With conditions warming up and drying out, please be mindful when out driving through tall grass,” Friede said. “Also make sure that trailer chains aren’t dragging while towing and make sure that trailer brakes are functioning properly and not hanging up. If you need to do a controlled burn, please obtain a burn permit. When planning a controlled burn, look at the weather for the following days after the burn is complete to make sure that the controlled burn doesn’t reignite and turn into a wildfire while no one is watching. There will be days that we will not allow open burning because the conditions are not favorable for it.”

Culbertson’s Mike Olson said area fire departments were called out on mutual aid over the weekend to assist with grass fires north of Poplar likely started by a hot muffler in the dry grass. “We need to be extra careful until things green up around here,” Olson said. Olson added that no burn permits will be issued through April 18.

The Wolf Point Volunteer Fire Department was called out Sunday afternoon for an unpermitted controlled burn north of Wolf Point on Windy Hill Road.

Visit weather.gov/ggw to check current conditions and always call the non-emergency dispatch line to request a burn permit. That number is 406-653-6230.