Grass fire in Morton County burns about 50 acres of pasture

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - Officials are warning about the fire danger after a grass fire in Morton County burned about 50 acres of pasture.

Mandan Rural Fire Chief Lynn Gustin tells the Bismarck Tribune (https://bit.ly/1YMO8hs) that the fire started just north of Fort Rice early Friday afternoon near the Gumbo Flats ranch.

Gustin says 15 firefighters from the Mandan Rural Fire Department headquarters in Mandan and its satellite station in St. Anthony fought the blaze for more than 90 minutes. Gustin says he’s surprised at the dry conditions, even after recent rains.

The National Weather Service says winds on Friday afternoon gusted to 29 mph and fire danger was rated high for Morton County. Winds on Saturday were forecast to be between 15 and 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph.

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Information from: Bismarck Tribune, https://www.bismarcktribune.com