''We came close to a major disaster,'' said Rod Hochhalter, chief of the Bismarck Rural Fire Department.
Firefighters from the Mandan Rural Fire Department, Sterling, Bismarck Fire Department and Mandan Fire Department helped knock back the wind-driven blaze, which blackened about 100 acres Sunday. It took about 50 minutes.
''It was smoky and difficult to see at times,'' Hochhalter said.
The cause of the fire was believed to be embers left from an earlier controlled burn that were stirred up by Sunday's gusty winds. The controlled burn was done several weeks ago when conditions were safe, Hochhalter said.
As mop-up continued, Bismarck Rural firefighters were called to the scene of a second grass fire south of Bismarck.About a dozen firefighters contained that fire as light rain fell.
That blaze also covered about 100 acres, said assistant chief Keith Sailer.
But neither rain nor snow are the help many people assume when the grass is volatile, Hochhalter said.
''Once the sun comes out, (the dry grass) is ready in one hour to burn again,'' he said. ''Until we get a good snow or green grass, it's dangerous to do any outdoors burning.''
Information from: Bismarck Tribune
