News Releases for July 2006
July 18, 2006
For further information, please Contact the Governor's Office
Hoeven Dispatches Helicopter, State Resources To Assist Fire Fight Near Fort Yates
BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. John Hoeven today dispatched a National Guard UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter with a water bucket to help local authorities battling a grass fire south of Fort Yates and moving toward the city. Hoeven last week issued a fire emergency, which is still in effect, enabling activation of the state Emergency Operations Plan.
Fire fighting units on the scene include Sioux County, Selfridge, Solen, Fort Yates, McIntosh and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The state Department of Emergency Services is coordinating other state agencies, and the North Dakota Forest Service has sent three fire engines to the scene.
The fire has reportedly consumed about 10 miles of grassland and is four to six miles wide. Winds are 15 to 25 miles per hour, with gusts of up to 30 miles an hour. The fire is currently traveling northeast toward the Missouri River. Nine households have been evacuated, and 400 head of cattle are in the process of being relocated.
State officials are also on alert to lend assistance to local officials fighting fires in Lemmon, Hettinger, the Amidon area and south of Wilton. The N.D. Highway Patrol has closed U.S. Highway 83 at mile marker 106 and traffic will be diverted to 26th Street by Baldwin.
"As this drought widens, and dry conditions spread, we all need to exercise extreme caution when doing anything that could start a fire," Hoeven said. "We need to take the highest level of care no matter what we are doing in this extremely dry environment."
E-mail comments to the Governor
