Mountrail County Promoter - Columnists

It Was A Beautiful Day For A Ride
I finally got my first ride on the trike for the season on Saturday. With the temperatures nearly perfect and no wind to speak of, Dale and I hopped on the Harley for a ride to Minot for lunch.
Sitting on the back of the bike, I was able to enjoy the scenery. You could see farmers in the fields for miles. The sloughs provided a little bit of cooling off as you went by. True story, I’ll enjoy those cooling sloughs more when the weather is warmer and they have warmed up a little as well.
It was a beautiful blue sky both ways, with not a cloud to be seen.
As we got to Brooks Hill, you could see where nature has taken advantage of what little moisture has fallen and the warmer temperatures. What was a burn area it turning bright green.
I love sitting on the back of the trike and always look forward to that first real ride. The sun on my face and the wind in my hair always brings me peace. Sitting back there I can just let go of all the things I stress over each week. This past week was one of those weeks. I had a higher than usual number of tasks on my “sticky note” on my computer screen. I knew that Sunday would be a day full of writing and working on pictures. But, for those few hours, I was able to just let it go and just be.
As I sat back there, I was also thinking about my friend Carol Ann. She, too, would have loved a day like that to be on her trike. She would have also enjoyed watching the spring work being done. It would have taken her back to her childhood. I will admit the nostalgia got the better of me for a little while. I also imagined her smiling down at me enjoying my day, encouraging me to just be in the moment and appreciate every one of them I get because we just don’t know how many we will have.
Be Careful Out There!
I have to admit that as much I was looking forward to the warmer temperatures last weekend, I was also holding my breath.
Sunday’s forecast for weather in the mid to upper 80s, along with low humidity and high winds were a recipe for disaster with the dry conditions out there.
It wasn’t until mid-afternoon when I first heard the fire siren go off in Stanley. As Stanley’s fire department was responding to a call of their own, I heard the call go out for mutual aid from New Town’s fire department.
Updates from the MHA Emergency Operations Center stated that around 2:15 p.m. an active grass fire started south of New Town along 28th St NW in the Shell Creek Area. The fire was initially under control around 2:30 p.m. but jumped the line and continued pushing north. 
NTVFD, Parshall VFD, TATFM, EOC, Ft. Berthold Rural Water, NTPD, TATLE, TAT Game & Fish, NT Ambulance, North Segment Security, Stanley VFD, NDFS, and Plaza VFD all responded.
On Monday, they reported the fire remains 100% contained, however there will continue to be smoke seen and some burning within the interior of the containment lines for the next couple days at least. This is expected. Fire Engines are patrolling the area and working on extinguishing interior hotspots. 
Non-residents and non-emergency traffic are still asked to stay out of the area. Landowners are cautioned to watch where they step, looking out for burned out stump holes and potential falling trees and branches. 
Power has been restored to all but 10 structures in the area. Line crews will be working as expediently as they can to restore all power. The fire is estimated to be have been about 1600 acres and around 6 miles long. Some farm equipment was damaged. No structures were lost and no injuries were reported. Several electric poles destroyed. MWEC crews are working to restore power to that area.
The following information came from the ND Department of Emergency Services and provides some great advice during this elevated fire risk:
During this season of elevated and elongated fire risk, several state agencies are working to provide a cohesive picture of fire regulations for the safety and health of the citizens of North Dakota.
Burn Restrictions are related to if you can burn – see the map with fire danger ratings and burn restrictions at NDResponse.gov/burn.
Burn Variances are related to what you’re burning – see full guidance and application instructions from the Department of Environmental Quality.
Fire Danger Ratings and Burn Restrictions, In Depth
The Fire Danger Ratings are calculated using inputs such as long-term climate information; short-term weather patterns; and indicators like relative humidity, temperature, wind speed, and fuel conditions on the ground (how dry the grasses are, for example). Weather information inputs to the Fire Danger Ratings are provided by the National Weather Service, while fuel conditions are based on a variety of inputs and modeling.
The ratings are low, moderate, high, very high, and extreme. Additionally, there are fire weather watches and red flag warnings that can be issued for heightened public awareness of critical fire weather conditions.
The fire danger ratings are indicative of the threat of fire growth, not necessarily the threat of fire starts. Should a fire ignite, it is more likely that it will spread rapidly during higher fire danger rating days.
Next, jurisdictions may put forth a Fire Emergency Declaration. These are similar to any emergency declaration and are issued by the appropriate authority such as a mayor, council, or governor. Usually, this is done to allow access to special emergency funds for response activities. These declarations can also serve to heighten public awareness of the threat. Fire Emergency are necessary to have in place in order to enforce Burn Restrictions.
Finally, Burn Restrictions are legal restrictions on outdoor fire activities that are usually tied to Counties, tribes, state, federal land management agencies, and even some cities can decide what restrictions should be in place for each level of the fire danger ratings.
Restrictions may change throughout the day so always check right before you intend to burn.
*The Fire Danger Rating System is very sensitive to inputs, so it is always best to use your judgment when determining if burning is right for you, even if it is allowed in your jurisdiction. Experts across disciplines continue to refine the fire danger rating system for increased accuracy and public safety.
Open Burning and Burn Variances, In Depth
Generally, anytime you light a fire outdoors, you are open burning. Open burning is regulated under the North Dakota Air Pollution Control Rules for the health and wellbeing of ourselves and our neighbors.
Many types of open burning such as prescribed burns, landfills, and oil, require an approved open burn variance.
Certain common activities, such as campfires, outdoor cooking fires, and agricultural crop burning do not require a burn variance.
Details are available at DEQ.nd.gov. Burn variance applications can be found at DEQ.nd.gov and must be approved by the DEQ or by district health units with variance issuing authority. Contact the DEQ or your local fire district if you have any questions.
If you can burn what you intend to burn, always give a heads-up to your local first responders:
Open NDResponse.gov/burn 
Open the North Dakota Fire Declarations and Burn Restrictions map 
Navigate to the ‘Declarations’ tab at the top 
Click on your jurisdiction on the map 
Follow the contact instructions in the popover to let them know you’ve obtained a burn variance and the time and place you intend to do your open burn. 
By following rules for burn variances and burn restrictions, we can safely enjoy fire, reduce the threat of wildfires, and help keep our air, lands, and waters clean.