President-elect Donald Trump said Thursday he plans to name North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to lead the Department of Interior. 

“We’re going to do things with energy and with land, Interior that is going to be incredible,” Trump said during a Thursday event at Mar-a-Lago. A clip of an event was captured on CSPAN. 

“I look forward to doing the formal announcement,” Trump said. That announcement is expected Friday. 

Burgum, who has served two terms as governor of North Dakota, was among the field of Republican candidates for president during the primaries before endorsing Trump. 

Trump had previously teased that Burgum, a contender for vice president, would be a “very important part of his administration.”

As governor, Burgum has railed against what he sees as government overreach and bureaucracy under the Biden administration, especially on energy policy. 

The $18 billion department is responsible for managing public lands, protecting wildlife, maintaining national parks and monuments and overseeing most tribal programs, among other things.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

BISMARCK, N.D. (KUMV) – The North Dakota State Fire Marshal released a pair of reports stating flaring was the cause of several of the October wildfires.

Fire Marshal Doug Nelson said both the Dinwoodie Fire near New Town and the Midnight Run Fire near Keene started by heat from oil well flares meeting dry vegetation. The Midnight Run fire burned about 7,000 acres, while the Dinwoodie fire had no area estimation.

These fires were part of a series of wildfires that occurred the weekend of Oct. 5. High winds and dry conditions made it difficult for firefighters to fight the blazes.

The report said the flare that caused the Midnight Run Fire belonged to ConocoPhillips, and the flare that started the Dinwoodie Fire is owned by Hess. Nelson said both fires were accidental.

A spokesperson with ConocoPhillips released the following statement: “ConocoPhillips is reviewing the fire investigation report issued by the North Dakota State Fire Marshal. We are committed to working with the State Fire Marshal to provide necessary information but were unaware of a request for an interview. We are also working directly with landowners and tenants. Our focus remains on the safety of our workers, the community, and on the protection of the environment.”

The report stated the fire marshal attempted to contact ConocoPhillips both at its offices in Dickinson and Houston, Texas.

A request for a statement was sent to Hess, but we have not heard back.

Communications Director for the Fire Marshal Jacob Just said the Ray Fire in Williams County is still under investigation. He said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is investigating the Bear Den Fire because it occurred on tribal lands. He also said the Elkhorn fire is still under investigation by the U.S. Forest Service.

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