(REGION) — Wildfires continue to rage across western North Dakota this afternoon. A large fire was reported between Ray and Tioga.
The North Dakota Forest Service provided four fire engines with crews, plus another engine and crew from Kindred through a state wildland fire task force and an initial attack crew from New Mexico, to help fight multiple fires. Two North Dakota National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters are providing aerial support with water buckets, and more than two dozen National Guard firefighters have deployed. The Department of Emergency Services deployed an engine with two firefighters.
Two heavy air tankers from Montana also dumped fire retardant on the wildfire in rugged terrain north of Mandaree as bulldozers and motor graders continued to cut fire lines to keep flames away from the community.
