DNR accidentally burns 4,500 acres of Roseau County
A wildfire that burned 4,500 acres in Roseau County last week was unintentionally sparked by an earlier fire set by the Department of Natural Resources.
An investigation shows the recent Palsburg wildfire started in a slash pile on state land.
The DNR's Forestry Division Director, Forrest Boe, said DNR workers intentionally lit the pile on Nov. 25, 2014. It appeared to have burned out in a few weeks, but coals buried deep in root clusters smoldered through the winter.
On April 15, while fire crews prepared for an especially dry wildfire season, Boe said strong winds fanned those coals to flame.
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"We spotted the fire with our aerial detection," he said. "It didn't take long for it to get up and move and burn through a lot of pine."
Crews brought in bulldozers. Helicopters dropped water and fire retardant. The fire was contained by the next morning, but not before thousands of acres of state and tribal pine forest were lost.
Burning slash piles is a common part of DNR forest management. Debris left by logging crews is pushed into piles and lit, making room for new tree seedlings.
Boe said the Palsburg fire might not have happened if there had been more snow.
"These are really extreme fire conditions," he said.
Boe said the DNR may have to take a second look at how slash piles are dealt with.