North Dakota Game and Fish offers tips to help to prevent wildfires ahead of pheasant opener

FARGO — As dry conditions continue across North Dakota, the Game and Fish department is asking hunters to help prevent fires.

This weekend is the pheasant opener in North Dakota, and there are a number of things hunters can do to stay safe.

The first is to avoid driving on or parking any vehicles on dry grass.

“The catalytic converters can be hot, and you can walk away from a situation that seems to be of no concern, and come back and a fire has started and even your truck could be victim of that fire,” Doug Leier, an outreach biologist with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, said.

Another thing to avoid is having safety chains on boats, campers or trailers dragging on the ground, as that can cause a spark.

There are also things hunters can bring with that can help if a fire breaks out.

“Bring along a fire extinguisher if you can have equipment; water, if you can bring along a flapper, if you can bring along shovels and have that with you in the back of your pickup truck, because in the event that you unintentionally start a fire, then you’ve got some of the equipment and the means right there (to put it out),” Leier said.

Hunters should also keep an eye on county burn restrictions and the fire danger index, but Leier says it’s important to use your best judgment based on what you’re seeing.

“That can change from the early morning to the late afternoon, and the wind picks up, and what you may have thought was safe and legal early in the morning, later on in the afternoon, while it may still be legal, it might not be the right thing to do,” he said.

Leier also says if hunters spot a fire, they should call 911 immediately. If that fire is already out of control, he says don’t risk fighting it, wait for the professionals to arrive.

You can find information on burn restrictions and the fire danger index

online

.