– High wind creates damage, fans fires

Jamestown (CSi) High winds caused damage around Jamestown. Six fire departments in Stutsman County responded to 16 different calls for service between 1 and 5:30 p.m. Sunday.

Other damage reports in Jamestown are coming in at daybreak, including at FCCU, at the drive up area a tree down on 2nd Avenue, by the Elks, and Country Garden Floral on Business Loop West. Motorists are urged to use caution with possible debris in the streets.

Stutsman County Emergency Manager Jerry Bergquist, says 93 degree heat and high winds fanned brush fires destroyed a home in in Courtenay

Jamestown Rural Fire Department and Courtenay Fire Department responded to a porch fire at 2185 North Dakota Highway 20 at around 1 p.m. The home was completely destroyed by fire.

There were 11 calls in Stutsman County, and the Kensal Fire Department responded to a fire in Foster County. Fire departments in Kensal, Courtenay, Cleveland and Woodworth, and the Jamestown Rural Fire and Jamestown Fire departments, were called out alone or in mutual-aid fire response,

High temperatures and high wind and low humidity contributed to several brush fires, including combine fires in Woodworth and Courtenay and brush fires in Ypsilanti, Cleveland, Eldridge and just outside Jamestown in the Hoggarth Brothers Subdivision. Lamoure County also had all of its available fire personnel deployed to various fires, he said.

The National Weather Service in Bismarck placed Stutsman County under a red flag warning as a high-fire risk development at 4:12 p.m. Sunday.

The Stutsman County area was listed as moderate for a fire danger threat for three consecutive days prior to Sunday.

The National Weather Service reports that winds across the state as of late Monday morning, showeed the highest wind speeds have been found in Jamestown and Carrington with a wind gust of 67 mph winds. Highest wind storm speeds were found in Moffit with 75 mph reported.

News release from Jerry Bergquist….

For about a four hour stretch Sunday afternoon (10-11-15), six different
fire departments in Stutsman County fought 11 separate fires. At least
three of the fires involved mutual aid from neighboring fire departments.
The six fire departments were Kensal, Courtenay, Jamestown Rural, Jamestown City, Cleveland and Woodworth.

Of the 11 fires, two of them involved combines on fire. The remaining 9
fires involved either grass, stubble or field fires with 3 of the 9 fires
threatening nearby homes. A grass fire north of Jamestown on Highway 20
destroyed a home located at 2185 Hwy 20 SE. The American Red Cross was
notified of the house fire. An undetermined number of additional homes were
damaged. The vinyl siding on one of the homes melted due to the heat of the
fire.

Both Courtenay and Jamestown City Fire Departments were mutual aided by
Jamestown Rural Fire to assist with fires located both north and south of
Jamestown. The ND Highway Patrol and the Stutsman County Sheriff’s Office
assisted with traffic control. Local farmers assisted Jamestown Rural Fire
Department by creating fire breaks to slow down the forward movement of
several of the fires.

The fire danger rating on Sunday for Stutsman County was “moderate.” Winds
were calm in the morning, but the National Weather Service issued a High
Wind Warning that went into effect at 1:00 p.m. Wind was a huge factor
Sunday afternoon. At Jamestown, peak gusts reached 48 mph with a 92 degree
temperature and humidity levels at 13%. The National Weather Service issued
a Red Flag Warning at 4:13 p.m.

Currently Stutsman County does not have any burn ban/restrictions in place
because the County has consistently been in either the low or moderate fire
danger ratings all season long. The fire chiefs in the County will be
polled this week to determine whether they feel any burn ban/restrictions
should established by the County Commission.

Other damage reports in Jamestown are coming in at daybreak, Monday, including at FCCU, a tree down on 2nd Avenue, by the Elks, and at Country Garden Floral.

Regionally, statewide….

The American Red Cross responded to a house fire on 49th Street in Enderlin Sunday morning.

According to Brian Shawn, the house fire displaced five people and left them in need of assistance. The American Red Cross is providing assistance with immediate needs for the family impacted. The home reportedly has major damage in the bottom level with smoke damage in other areas. The American Red Cross is supplying the family with food, clothing, infant supplies and medications for four adults and one infant.

Residents are encouraged to take steps to minimize the risk of fire occurring in their home.

High winds sparked several grass fires across southern North Dakota and central South Dakota.

The fires Sunday were fanned by winds gusting more than 50 mph. They were contained and no injuries were reported, but they shut down for a time stretches of U.S. Highway 83 and Interstate 29 in North Dakota and U.S. Highway 14 in South Dakota.

A fire blackened 5 square miles in Dickey and LaMoure counties. Firefighters battled blazes in the Pierre region in South Dakota and the Bismarck and Jamestown regions in North Dakota. One home was destroyed and several others damaged near Jamestown.

At least three homes and a church were destroyed in Cannon Ball, and the 850 residents of the Standing Rock Indian Reservation community were evacuated.