North Dakota fires burning at record pace, despite the rain

Bismarck, N.D. (AP) A state Forest Service official says recent rains have not offered a salve to the worst fire season in North Dakota history.

Geremy Olson is the agency's fire planning and prevention specialist. He says 28 of the state's 53 counties are still under burn bans today.

He says a record 651 grass fires have been reported so far this summer and no part of the state has been spared.

Olson says fires have blackened nearly 45-thousand acres of grasslands in the state this summer. He says that's more than double the amount of acres burned last year.

Olson says drought has made North Dakota a tinderbox and heavy rain is needed to in the state to get it out of fire danger.

Today officials in Burleigh and Morton counties issued a statement saying burn bans in those counties are still in effect despite welcome rain this week.

Officials say most grass fires in North Dakota this year have been started by lightning and farm equipment. The largest grass fires have been in drought-stricken Burleigh and Sioux counties.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 08-18-06 1903CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list