North Dakota Forest Service Issues Very High Fire Danger Rating for North Dakota

The fire danger rating is issued once a day for each of North Dakota's 53 counties.

NORTH DAKOTA–The state of North Dakota has been issued a high or very high fire danger rating for Friday.

A high fire danger rating means that fires start easily from all causes and have the potential to spread rapidly. Unattended brush and campfires are common starters of wildfires.

The fire danger rating is issued once a day for each of North Dakota’s 53 counties. The five rating levels consist of low, moderate, high, very high and extreme. The ratings provide an indication for the potential of grassland fires to start and spread.

The North Dakota Forest Service reported a total of 484 wildfires in 2019, with 463 of those being preventable. The leading causes of preventable wildfires in 2019 in North Dakota included 223 caused by debris burning, 70 from equipment use and 22 from smoking.

North Dakota residents are encouraged to regularly check equipment such as lawn mowers to ensure the engine is working properly and the equipment is creating sparks.

The fire danger map can be viewed here.