Conditions in parts of Cass County ripe for fires

This afternoon firefighters were called to control this grass fire just north of Argusville. Casselton Fire was dispatched to two different grass fires yesterday just minutes apart.

Chief Tim McLean says people are starting spring clean up projects and don't realize how quickly the burning dry grass and leaves can turn for the worse. In today's case it ended up taking over an abandoned building.

"It is wet underneath, but still dry up top, good fuel."

He says more grass fires are sure to pop up. Many farmers still have corn in the fields and burning it could be the best way to clear the area. McLean says everyone just needs to remember a barrier to keep fires controlled.

"So fires don't spread to ditches railroad tracks power line poles."

McLean says the best thing you can do before starting a controlled fire is call dispatch and let them know where you'll be burning that way when calls start coming in for smoke in the area, they'll know if it's false alarm or send fire crews out.

"We get dispatched, we're in route, we get there and the guy is standing there saying everything is fine here."

He says until we get the spring rains, to keep from a disaster everyone burning will have to keep a closer eye. There's no burning ban in Cass County now, but McLean says that could change if we don't get any precipitation or if more fires begin popping up.

Tags: reporter stories, todd kurtz, fire, casselton, argusville, news