By Brad Nygaard and Blake Nicholson
The Bismarck Tribune
SHERIDAN COUNTY, N.D. — Two firefighters were injured while helping battle a wildfire in Sheridan County over the weekend, and one of them was flown to a Twin Cities burn hospital.
The blaze Saturday also destroyed a wildland rescue truck the firefighters were on. The fire was started by a controlled burn that got out of control, according to an account posted by Goodrich Fire Department Chief Brian Galvin and reposted by the state Department of Emergency Services.
Strong wind gusts and shifting winds made fighting the fire difficult, Galvin said. He estimated the fire speed at about 6 inches per second and described it as “massive and chaotic.” The size of the blaze dubbed the Highway 14 Fire was estimated at 4,100 acres — nearly 6 ½ square miles, according to DES spokeswoman Alison Vetter. No structures or livestock were lost, according to Galvin.
Sheridan County Sheriff Trent Naser confirmed to the Tribune that one of the injured firefighters is Jaiden Bauer, of McClusky. The other injured firefighter is Casey Quale, of Wing, according to Wing Fire Chief Frank Hein. Quale was treated at a hospital and released, and is recovering at home, Hein said. Quale declined comment to the Tribune.
Bauer and his family farm and ranch in the area, according to information posted on the Meal Train meal support website. He was listed in fair condition Monday at Regions Hospital Burn Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, according to a hospital spokesman.
Another large wildfire dubbed the Potato Hill Fire occurred over the weekend in Emmons County. Heavy smoke prompted the closure of state Highway 1804 about 15 miles south of Bismarck for about 2 ½ hours Saturday evening, according to the Highway Patrol. The blaze scorched an estimated 3,000 acres, or about 4 ½ square miles, according to DES. A North Dakota National Guard Black Hawk helicopter was called in to assist with water drops. The cause of the fire was being investigated.
Emmons County video of North Dakota National Guard Black Hawk assist for wildfire
Both of the weekend fires were contained. Another recent large fire in the region, the Cedar River Fire in Adams County, was fully contained Sunday evening, according to Perkins County ( South Dakota ) State’s Attorney Shane Penfield, who also serves as a fire marshal and public information officer for the Lemmon Fire Department. Firefighting operations were assisted by one-fourth inch of rainfall overnight Saturday, he posted.
The Cedar River Fire, which started Wednesday, scorched 8,730 acres — nearly 14 square miles. It burned several structures including a hunting lodge, but no injuries were reported, according to the Lemmon Fire Department.
The fire danger rating in south central North Dakota on Monday was low to moderate following weekend rains, but it was listed as high in most of western North Dakota, which is mired in moderate, severe or extreme drought. No large active fires were listed on the DES dashboard Monday afternoon.
More rain fell in North Dakota on Monday. The workweek forecast from the National Weather Service called for more chances of precipitation across the state Wednesday night into Thursday.
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