Weekend wildfires lead to 1 death, large areas burned in western North Dakota

Ferocious wildfires in North Dakota leave one dead, over 100 evacuated, with dry conditions expected to persist.

Wildfires driven by ferocious winds and fueled by dry conditions raged through parts of western North Dakota over the weekend, leading to one death and forcing more than 100 people to evacuate their homes. Officials don't expect the region's tinder-dry conditions to improve soon.

Six significant wildfires were reported, and four of them were nearly or completely contained, state officials said Monday. Downed power lines were believed to have ignited at least some of the fires.

The fires burned in scattered areas over a vast swath of North Dakota’s oil fields, including agricultural land, grassland and rugged Badlands terrain where small, rural towns dot the map. Wind gusts reported Saturday morning in areas of western and central North Dakota ranged from 57 mph (92 kph) to 75 mph (121 kph), according to the National Weather Service. Most of western North Dakota is in some level of drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The 44-square-mile (114-square-kilometre) Elkhorn Fire near Grassy Butte was 20% contained Monday, and the 18-square-mile (47-square-kilometre) Bear Dean Fire near Mandaree was zero per cent contained, according to the state Department of Emergency Services.

“We do have to lean forward on this. We know that we're probably here until it snows. That's the honest-to-God-truth that no one wants to hear,” North Dakota Forest Service Fire Manager Ryan Melin said during a press conference in Watford City.

Johannes Nicolaas Van Eeden, 26, of South Africa, died during a large fire near Ray in northwest North Dakota, the Williams County Sheriff's Office said Sunday. Detective Dan Ward declined to say how he died, citing an active investigation.

Another person was critically injured, the sheriff's office said.