DAVENPORT, N.D. - About 20 volunteer firefighters rushed to a farmstead northeast of here Friday evening to battle a cornfield fire that threatened a home because of high winds.
Davenport fire crews were called about 5:38 p.m. to the Greg Schultz residence on County Road 15 just north of County Road 14, where a fire in a cornfield was burning and spreading to the south.
Horace fire crews were also dispatched to the fire, which scorched several trees and logs. The fire came within several yards of a two-story home and other structures on the property.
Winds were about 40 mph at the time of the fire, said Horace Fire Chief Ryan Hegel.
The National Weather Service in Grand Forks issued a wind advisory for the state's southeastern region, including Cass County, less than an hour before the fire started. The advisory called for winds of 30 mph to 45 mph.
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The fire burned four to five acres before it was contained, said Davenport Assistant Fire Chief Wayne Flom. No injuries were reported and no structures burned, he said.
The Salvation Army provided relief assistance to the firefighters as they extinguished hot spots, Hegel said.
At least five tankers from both departments used about 12,000 gallons of water to fight the fire, Flom said. Crews sprayed foam on hot spots at 7:45 p.m. and would do spot checks throughout the night, he said.
The cause of the fire was unknown Friday night. Flom said it was unclear whether someone intended to burn the dried cornstalks in the field for future planting.
The weather service issued a fire weather watch starting this afternoon through the evening. Affected North Dakota counties are Traill, Cass, Ransom, Sargent and Richland.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Benny Polacca at (701) 241-5504
