MEDORA, N.D. — Lighter winds have helped firefighters contain a blaze in North Dakota’s Theodore Roosevelt National Park to an 8-square-mile area, officials said Wednesday.
The fire in the park’s North Unit continues to threaten bison handling facilities, administrative buildings, the River Bend Outlook and the CCC Campground, as well as some private residences.
North Dakota Forest Service Acting Outreach and Education Manager Beth Hill said the blaze is 50% contained, a slight increase over Tuesday. No structure damage has been reported, she said.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The National Weather Service said “near-critical” fire weather conditions exist in much of the central portion of the state and the forecast calls for little chance of significant precipitation through the weekend.
Federal forestry officials have issued emergency restrictions on fires and shooting in all national forest lands in a host of North Dakota counties.
The Associated Press
