(Dickinson, ND) — The Bureau of Land Management has issued Stage 2 Fire Restrictions in six western North Dakota counties.
Stage 2 restrictions are put in place during periods of high fire risk and include prohibitions on campfires, smoking, discharging firearms and off-road driving. The restrictions do not prohibit smoking indoors or inside a vehicle, and discharging a firearm will still be allowed where hunting is legal. The fire restrictions will be enforced until further notice in Bowman, Dunn, Golden Valley, McKenzie, Stark and Williams counties.
While the largest wildfires are in the western part of the state, every county in North Dakota is facing a high risk of fire. Data collected by the state’s Department of Emergency Services shows all counties are facing a high fire danger warning. With winds gusting up to 30 miles-per-hour, Northwestern Divide and Williams counties are at an extreme fire danger level.
The least impacted areas are in the northeastern corner of the state. According to the state forest service, wildfires have burned more than 136-thousand acres this season.
