Weekend wildfires lead to 1 death, large areas burned in western North Dakota

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Wildfires driven by ferocious winds and fueled by dry conditions raged through parts of western North Dakota over the weekend, leading to one death and forcing more than 100 people to evacuate their homes. Officials don't expect the region's tinder-dry conditions to improve soon.

Six significant wildfires were reported, and four of them were nearly or completely contained, state officials said Monday. Downed power lines were believed to have ignited at least some of the fires.

The fires burned in scattered areas over a vast swath of North Dakota’s oil fields, including agricultural land, grassland and rugged Badlands terrain where small, rural towns dot the map. Wind gusts reported Saturday morning in areas of western and central North Dakota ranged from 57 mph (92 kph) to 75 mph (121 kph), according to the National Weather Service. Most of western North Dakota is in some level of drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The 44-square-mile (114-square-kilometer) Elkhorn Fire near Grassy Butte was 20% contained Monday, and the 18-square-mile (47-square-kilometer) Bear Den Fire near Mandaree was zero percent contained, according to the state Department of Emergency Services.

“We do have to lean forward on this. We know that we're probably here until it snows. That's the honest-to-God-truth that no one wants to hear,” North Dakota Forest Service Fire Manager Ryan Melin said during a press conference in Watford City.

Johannes Nicolaas Van Eeden, 26, of South Africa, died during a large fire near Ray in northwest North Dakota, the Williams County Sheriff's Office said Sunday. Detective Dan Ward declined to say how he died, citing an active investigation.

Another person was critically injured, the sheriff's office said.

The warm and dry weather pattern is expected to continue in western North Dakota at least through Thursday, with fairly light winds through Wednesday, said National Weather Service meteorologist Michael Hollan. Thursday brings the potential for wind gusts up to to 30 mph (48 kph), he said.

At least two homes and numerous outbuildings were lost in the Bear Den Fire, the department said. Damage in other fires included downed power lines, vehicles and outbuildings. There are no current evacuation orders, according to a department spokesperson.

Livestock losses were not immediately clear. State Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring said farmers and ranchers were still trying to assess the situation. North Dakota Stockmen's Association Executive Vice President Julie Ellingson said it could be weeks or months before a full picture emerges of the impact, given the wide area affected.

Gov. Doug Burgum toured wildfire areas and met with local officials Monday and said that Saturday might go down as one of the worst fire days in North Dakota's history in terms of the amount of land charred.

The North Dakota Forest Service logged 33 reported fires over the weekend encompassing 77 square miles (199 square kilometers). That figure does not include the large Ray-, Tioga- and Alamo-area fires that merged into one. Its size is still being determined.

“Unfortunately, we could be at this for a while because of the conditions we have,” the governor said.

Eighty to 100 people were affected by the evacuation order in the Arnegard area, where a 700-acre (283-hectare) fire began early Saturday, ignited by a downed power line, said Arnegard Fire Protection District Chief Rick Schreiber. Another 35 people slept on cots at a makeshift shelter Saturday night, McKenzie County Emergency Manager Karolin Jappe said.

Responders to the Arnegard-area fire dealt with wind gusts up to 73 mph (117 kph), and initial units had to back out to avoid being overrun by flames, said Schreiber, who requested every available unit in the county with 50 to 60 homes and businesses in the line of the fire.

He called the blaze “the fastest, most aggressive grass fire that I have ever been on, period, ever” in his 27 years of firefighting.

Firefighters battled 50-foot (15-meter) flames over tree rows, he said. He credited the response from multiple fire departments, the county and local residents to help fight the blaze.

The fire left a barren wasteland and nothing on the ground, Schreiber said. Jappe compared driving conditions to a blizzard but with ash, smoke and dust.

Many oil companies have shut off their flaring of natural gas during the dry period, Jappe said. Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative estimated 370 poles were damaged with 315 customers without power Monday afternoon.

In this photo provided by the Arnegard Fire Protection District, a wildfire burn near Arnegard, N.D., Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (Arnegard Fire Protection District via AP)

In this photo provided by the Arnegard Fire Protection District, a wildfire burn near Arnegard, N.D., Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (Arnegard Fire Protection District via AP)

In this photo provided by the U.S. Army National Guard, North Dakota National Guard soldiers and airmen work with the Department of Emergency Services to build a handline and conduct a controlled burn to prevent the further spread of a wildfire in Mandaree, N.D., Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (Staff Sgt. Samuel J. Kroll/U.S. Army National Guard via AP)

In this photo provided by the U.S. Army National Guard, North Dakota National Guard soldiers and airmen work with the Department of Emergency Services to build a handline and conduct a controlled burn to prevent the further spread of a wildfire in Mandaree, N.D., Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (Staff Sgt. Samuel J. Kroll/U.S. Army National Guard via AP)

In this photo provided by the U.S. Army National Guard, North Dakota National Guard soldiers and airmen work with the Department of Emergency Services to build a handline and conduct a controlled burn to prevent the further spread of a wildfire in Mandaree, N.D., Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (Staff Sgt. Samuel J. Kroll/U.S. Army National Guard via AP)

President-elect Donald Trump's billionaire ally Elon Musk played a key role this week in killing a bipartisan funding proposal that would have prevented a government shutdown, railing against the plan in a torrent of more than 100 X posts that included multiple false claims.

The X owner, an unelected figure, not only used his outsize influence on the platform to help sway Congress, he did so without regard for the facts and gave a preview of the role he could play in government over the next four years.

“Trump has got himself a handful with Musk,” John Mark Hansen, a professor of political science at the University of Chicago, said in an email. “Trump’s done this kind of thing before, blowing up a bill at the last minute. This time, though, it looks like he was afraid of Musk upstaging him. Now there’s a new social media bully in town, pushing the champion social media bully around.”

Hansen added: “We’ll see what Musk’s influence is when he runs up against reality — like when he proposes cutting off ‘wasteful’ spending for other people but not NASA contracts for Space-X.”

Musk’s objections to the 1,547-page omnibus bill included misinformation about congressional salaries, federal funding and public health preparedness, among other topics.

He alleged that the plan included a 40% raise for lawmakers. But the maximum pay increase possible through the proposal would have been 3.8%, according to the Congressional Research Service.

One way that members of Congress can receive a pay raise is through automatic adjustments that go into effect unless denied by law. Most members make $174,000 per a year after their last increase of 2.8% in 2009. Congressional leadership is the exception, with the Speaker of the House earning the most at $223,500 annually.

The rejected bill struck a section from a previous appropriations act that denied members of Congress this automatic pay raise. A maximum increase of 3.8% would have bumped their annual salary by about $6,600, to approximately $180,000 annually.

Musk also shared a post from another user that falsely claimed the bill provided $3 billion in funding for a potential new stadium for the NFL's Washington Commanders, commenting: “This should not be funded by your tax dollars!”

The bill included a provision to transfer control of the land that houses RFK Stadium from the federal government to the District of Columbia. That transfer is necessary to pave the way for the Commanders to possibly build a new stadium in the franchise's old home — though the team is still considering other locations.

However, no such funding is provided by the bill. It states, in fact, that the federal government “shall not be responsible for payment or any costs or expenses” that the District of Columbia incurs after the transfer is complete aside from responsibilities related to specific environmental issues.

District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser addressed false claims about the stadium's funding on Thursday, calling them “frustrating.”

“It was stated that the C.R. contains $3 billion for a stadium,” she said at a press conference. "All wrong. There are no federal dollars related to the transfer of RFK and in fact, the legislation does not require or link at all to a stadium.

Bowser added that she has reached out to the Trump administration to correct misinformation about this issue.

In a third post, Musk incorrectly claimed that “We're funding bioweapon labs in this bill!”

The plan provided funds for up to 12 regional biocontainment research laboratories, not facilities for creating bioweapons. It stipulates that among their uses, the labs will conduct biomedical research to prepare for biological agents such as emerging infectious diseases.

A spokesperson for Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Associated Press.

Some members of Congress expressed dismay that Musk had disseminated misinformation about the bill.

“I love you Elon but you need to take 5 seconds to check your sources before highlighting bottom feeders looking for clicks,” Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a Texas Republican, wrote on X.

In a hastily convened Thursday evening vote, the House rejected a new Trump-backed bill whittled down to 116 pages, with the bill failing 174-235. Dozens of Republicans joined Democrats in opposition.

The House finally approved a third spending deal Friday evening, and the Senate followed suit early Saturday. President Joe Biden planned to sign it into law later Saturday.

Trump led Republicans into the longest government shutdown in history in his first term during the 2018 Christmas season, and interrupted the holidays in 2020 by tanking a bipartisan COVID-relief bill and forcing a do-over.

FILE - Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, left, and Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump attend a campaign event at the Butler Farm Show, Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

FILE - President-elect Donald Trump listens to Elon Musk as he arrives to watch SpaceX's mega rocket Starship lift off for a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Nov. 19, 2024. (Brandon Bell/Pool via AP, File)