WILLISTON, ND (KXNET) — The Williams County Board of Commissioners Tuesday declared a local state of emergency in response to the wildfires and high winds that have burned through the county. The declaration came during a special meeting of the commissioners at noon, October 8, to discuss the status of firefighting efforts, power outages, damage assessments and other responses related to the fires. During the meeting, officials said estimates from satellite imagery and Civil Air Patrol flight observations show that approximately 88,934 acres burned across central and eastern Williams County between Saturday, October 5 and Sunday, October 6. An investigation into the start of the fires is ongoing. The two largest fires each covered swaths of land approximately 20 miles in length, with the first burning from 12 miles north of the intersection of Highway 85 and Highway 2 (13 Mile Corner) southeast, just past the western extent of Ray. The second main fire began northwest of Ray and burned southeast, ending just south of Tioga. Both fires crossed extensive portions of Highway 2 as the area experienced sustained winds of 40 mph and gusts up to 73 mph. The majority of fires were contained by 3:00 a.m. on Sunday, October 6. Hotspots and smaller fires continued to burn through Sunday, October 6 into Monday, October 7. The commissioners were told eight injuries were reported, resulting in two fatalities over the course of the two-day fire event. Primary burn areas for the wildfires that affected William County over the weekend of October 5-6. (Image: Williams County Commission) From mid-morning October 5 through Sunday, October 6, the Williams County Dispatch Center fielded a total of 636 calls for service, of which 182 were 9-1-1 emergencies and 454 were administrative. Incident Command from the Williams County Emergency Operation Center coordinated response efforts across more than 30 agencies from North Dakota and Montana. The majority of first responders were from volunteer-based agencies. Williams County first responders included those from the Ray Fire Department, Ray Ambulance, Epping Fire Department, Alamo Fire Department, Grenora Fire Department, Tioga Rural Fire, Tioga Fire and Ambulance, Trenton Fire Department, Wildrose Fire Department, Williston Rural Fire, Williston Fire & EMS, ND Highway Patrol, Ray Police Department, Tioga Police Department, Williams County Sheriff’s Office, Williams County Dispatch Center, and Williams County/Williston Emergency Management. Additional North Dakota agencies include Bowbells Fire Department, Burlington Fire Department, Columbus Fire Department, Crosby Fire Department, Kenmare Fire Department, Lignite Fire Department, Noonan Fire Department, Portal International Fire Department, Watford City Fire Department. Additional ambulatory units from the surrounding area provided patient transport as needed. Responding agencies from Montana included Bainville Fire Department, Culbertson Fire Department, Froid Fire Department, Medicine Lake Fire Department, Plentywood Fire Department, and Westby Fire Department. Local residents, the Williams County Highway Department, and the North Dakota Department of Transportation assisted with cutting fire lines in pastures and other open ground. Private industry was also critical to the response as entities contributed supplies, food, and most importantly, fire-fighting water. There has also been extensive damage to electrical infrastructure and significant loss to property. The North Dakota Highway Patrol and the Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, have both assisted with aircraft for spotting any residual fires and assessing damage. Williams County residents can also contribute to assessment efforts by reporting any livestock or structural damage or loss via the Williams County website: https://www.williamsnd.com/contact-emergency-management/. Those reports will contribute to disaster reporting and help with updating property records. Signed-Williams-County-Declaration-of-Emergency-October-2024Download Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Today's Top Stories SIGN UP NOW