Three Affiliated Tribes - Fire Management

10/06/2026

🔥🌲 Fire Prevention Week | Wildland Fire Prevention 🐻

A big thank you to the New Town Volunteer Fire Department (NT VFD) for inviting us out and giving us the opportunity to speak with students about wildland fire safety, prevention, and Smokey Bear’s message!

While Fire Prevention Week is a great time to learn about structure and home fire safety, it’s also important to remember wildland fire prevention. As we move further into October, vegetation begins drying and curing, and windy fall days can allow a grass fire to spread quickly. Even a small spark can become a fast-moving fire under the right conditions.

We talked with the students about some simple ways they can help Smokey prevent wildfires:

🔥 Never play with matches or lighters. If you find them, leave them alone and tell an adult.

💧 Make sure campfires are completely out. Drown the fire with plenty of water, stir the ashes, add more water, and make sure everything is cool before leaving.

🌾 Be careful around dry grass. Dry grass can ignite easily, and wind can push a grass fire quickly across an area.

👀 Speak up if you see smoke or fire. Tell an adult right away and never approach a wildfire.

🗑️ Take care of the outdoors. Keeping campsites and outdoor areas clean and following local fire restrictions are simple ways we can all help prevent human-caused fires.

🐻 And most importantly, remember Smokey Bear’s message: “Only YOU can prevent wildfires!”

Thank you again to NT VFD for including us in Fire Prevention Week and allowing us to share the wildland fire side of prevention. It’s always a great opportunity to teach our younger generation how they can help protect our grasslands, homes, wildlife, and communities. 🔥🌲🐻

10/06/2026

🔥 Fire Prevention Week October 4–10, 2026

As we continue through our fall fire season, TAT Fire Management would like to remind everyone across the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation to keep wildfire prevention in mind while hunting, harvesting, working, and recreating outdoors.

9 out of 10 wildfires are caused by people, which means many wildfires can be prevented. Throughout Fire Prevention Week, we’ll be sharing helpful information, resources, and reminders on ways we can all reduce the risk of human-caused wildfires.

Before burning, always check current fire danger, weather conditions, and burn restrictions. When using vehicles, ATVs, UTVs, equipment, campfires, or anything that could create a spark, take a few extra minutes to make sure you’re doing it safely.

Protecting our communities starts with all of us. One spark can make a difference — and so can prevention.

09/16/2026

The Three Affiliated Tribes National Park invites everyone to the 2nd Annual MHA Veterans Affairs Ruck Walk on September 18th 2026 that starts for opening remarks!

Good vibes and heavy packs are just 3 days away! Leave a 💪 in the comments if you’ll be joining us in support of veteran su***de and mental health awareness!
If you haven’t pre-registered, the deadline is tomorrow Wednesday, Sept. 16th at 11:59pm CST. Sign up to secure your t-shirt size and make the event check in process quicker.
If you miss the pre-registration deadline, don’t worry! We will have registration forms on-site at the event. But remember, t-shirts are available on a first come, first serve basis, so please pre-register if you can by scanning the QR code on the poster or by visiting the following link: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/g/GGfZ7mxp5m

09/10/2026

FIRE WEATHER PSA - SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

TAT Fire Management would like to remind the public to use extra caution today as critical fire weather conditions are expected across portions of the Fort Berthold Reservation.

🔥 Today’s Fire Danger:
🟠VERY HIGH: McKenzie & Dunn Counties
🟡HIGH: Mountrail, McLean & Mercer Counties

🚩 A Red Flag Warning is in effect from 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM CDT for McKenzie, Dunn and Mercer Counties. Low humidity, dry fuels and increasing winds will create conditions where fires can start easily, spread rapidly and become difficult to control.

☀️ Today’s Weather: Mostly sunny with highs around 85–90°F. Relative humidity will fall to around 17–22%, with southwest winds increasing through the afternoon to around 15–25 mph.

⚠️ Please avoid outdoor burning today. Be especially careful with vehicles or equipment around dry grass, welding, dragging chains, ci******es and anything else that could produce a spark.

📞 If you see smoke or a wildfire, report it immediately. Do not assume someone else has already called.

🔥 One less spark, one less wildfire.

— TAT Fire Management | Wildland Fire Prevention

09/09/2026

🚩RED FLAG WARNING – THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10th 2026

McKenzie, Dunn, and Mercer Counties will be under a Red Flag Warning tomorrow, Thursday, September 10, due to critical fire weather conditions.

⏰ Timing: 1:00 PM – 9:00 PM CDT
Noon to 8pm MDT

Temperatures are expected to reach 85–90°F, with humidity dropping into the teens, southwest winds around 20 mph, and gusts up to 30 mph.

⚠️ Please use extra caution! Under these conditions, any fire that starts can spread rapidly and become difficult to control.

🚫Avoid outdoor burning and activities that create sparks
🛻Secure trailer chains and avoid parking on dry grass
🚜Use extra caution with equipment and machinery
🚫🚬Properly dispose of ci******es
🤳Follow all local burn restrictions
🤳Report any smoke or fire immediately

🔥 One spark is all it takes. Please do your part to prevent wildfires and help keep our communities and firefighters safe.

09/01/2026

🍂🔥 September 1st Fire Weather & Fall Fire Prevention

Welcome to September! As we start moving into the fall season, TAT Fire Management would like to remind everyone that wildfire season isn’t over yet.

🔥 FIRE DANGER: MODERATE
Fort Berthold Reservation

🌤️ TODAY’S WEATHER
• Sky: Partly sunny
• High: 75–80°F
• Minimum Humidity: 32–37%
• Winds: West up to 5 mph
• Chance of Thunderstorms: 0%
• Chance of Wetting Rain: 0%

Overall fire weather concerns remain low today due to the lighter winds, but dry conditions continue across the area.

🍂 FALL FIRE PREVENTION REMINDERS

As temperatures begin to cool, remember that dry grass and vegetation can still carry fire quickly.

🔥 Never leave outdoor burning unattended.
🚗 Avoid parking or driving through tall, dry grass.
⛓️ Secure trailer chains so they don’t drag and create sparks.
🚜 Keep farm and ranch equipment maintained and have water or a fire extinguisher nearby.
🏕️ Drown campfires completely and make sure they’re cold before leaving.
🏹 As hunting season approaches, be cautious with campfires, vehicles, and anything that could create a spark.

Cooler weather doesn’t mean the end of fire season. One spark can still start a wildfire.

Stay safe and have a great start to September!

08/28/2026

🚨 FORT BERTHOLD DROUGHT & WILDFIRE UPDATE 🚨

August 28, 2026

Drought conditions have continued to worsen across the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. Nearly the entire reservation is now classified as D2 – Severe Drought, a significant increase from conditions seen earlier this month.

What does Severe Drought mean for wildfire?

As drought persists, vegetation and wildland fuels continue to lose moisture. Under Severe Drought conditions:

🔥 Grasses and other fine fuels are increasingly dry and can ignite easily.
🔥 Fires can spread rapidly, particularly when strong winds and low humidity are present.
🔥 Larger and heavier fuels, including branches, logs, and other woody material, can continue to dry and become more available to burn.
🔥 Fires may burn more intensely and become more difficult to contain as more fuels become available to support combustion.
🔥 Even after rainfall, grasses and other fine fuels can dry again quickly during warm, dry, and windy weather. A few rain events may provide temporary relief but may not be enough to overcome the longer-term moisture deficit.

⚠️ What does this mean for residents?

Severe Drought does not mean extreme fire conditions will occur every day. Weather remains an important factor in daily wildfire potential. However, the ongoing drought has created a much drier fuel environment across FBIR, meaning periods of strong winds, low humidity, and warm temperatures can quickly increase wildfire potential.

The National Interagency Fire Center also continues to forecast Above Normal Significant Wildland Fire Potential for western North Dakota, including FBIR, during August and September.

Please help prevent human-caused wildfires:

🔥 Use extra caution with equipment that can produce sparks or heat.
🔥 Properly extinguish campfires and other outdoor fires.
🔥 Avoid driving or parking vehicles in tall, dry grass.
🔥 Follow current burn restrictions and fire safety recommendations.
🔥 Report wildfires immediately by calling 911.

TAT Fire Management will continue monitoring drought, weather, fuel conditions, and wildfire activity across the reservation and will provide updates as conditions change.

-Three Affiliated Tribes Fire Management

08/24/2026

🔥 DAILY FIRE WEATHER UPDATE
AUGUST 24, 2026

⚠️ NEAR-CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON & EARLY EVENING

Fire danger remains elevated across portions of the Fort Berthold Reservation and surrounding areas today as warmer temperatures, increasing winds, and lower relative humidity create conditions favorable for increased fire activity.

⚠️HIGH FIRE DANGER
McKenzie, Dunn & Mercer Counties

🔵MODERATE FIRE DANGER
Mountrail & McLean Counties

🌬️ TODAY’S FIRE WEATHER:
• Temperatures around 80–85°F
• Minimum relative humidity around 27–32% with humidity dropping even lower farther south and west
• West winds increasing to around 20 mph this afternoon
• Near-critical fire weather conditions are expected across much of western North Dakota this afternoon and early evening

🟡IF YOU ARE IN A HIGH FIRE DANGER AREA:
Avoid unnecessary outdoor burning. Fires can start easily and spread quickly once established.

• Avoid burning brush, slash piles, trash or debris.
• Use extreme caution with farming, mowing, welding and other equipment that can create sparks.
• Never park vehicles or equipment over tall, dry grass.
• Secure trailer chains so they cannot drag and create sparks.
• Properly dispose of ci******es—never throw them from a vehicle.
• Keep water and firefighting tools nearby when working outdoors.
• If a fire starts, report it immediately.

🔵IF YOU ARE IN A MODERATE FIRE DANGER AREA:
Moderate does not mean there is no fire risk. Fires can still start and spread, particularly in dry grass and vegetation.

• Use caution with any outdoor burning.
• Never leave a fire unattended.
• Watch wind conditions before and during any burning.
• Keep vehicles and hot equipment away from dry vegetation.
• Make sure campfires and other fires are completely out and cold to the touch before leaving.

🚒 IMPORTANT: If you put out a grass, field or equipment fire yourself, please still report it. Fire can continue to smolder in vegetation, roots or other fuels and may flare back up when winds increase.

With winds increasing this afternoon, a small spark can quickly become a larger incident.

🔥 ONE LESS SPARK, ONE LESS WILDFIRE.

Please stay alert, use caution and help protect our communities, rangelands and firefighters.

08/20/2026

As students head back to school this fall, TAT Fire Management would like to remind our local schools and community programs that we are available for Wildland Fire Prevention education visits!

We welcome opportunities to visit:

🔥 Elementary, middle, and high schools
📚 Head Start programs and libraries
🎓 College and career fairs
🌲 Community and youth programs

Our Fire Management staff can provide age-appropriate presentations on Wildland Fire careers, firefighter safety, fire prevention, and how wildland fires are managed.

And of course, Smokey Bear can make a special visit to help teach younger students his Five Rules of Wildfire Prevention! 🐻🌲

These visits are a great way for students to meet local Wildland Fire personnel, learn how they can help prevent human-caused wildfires, and discover career opportunities in Wildland Fire.

📅 Now scheduling visits for the 2026–2027 school year!

If your school, classroom, library, Head Start program, career fair, or organization would like to schedule a visit, please reach out to TAT Fire Management.

Help us teach the next generation that wildfire prevention starts with all of us.

🐻 Only YOU can prevent wildfires!

08/20/2026

🚨 FORT BERTHOLD DROUGHT & WILDFIRE UPDATE 🚨
August 20, 2026

Drought conditions continue to worsen across the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows that the entire reservation remains in drought, with D2 Severe Drought continuing to expand across portions of FBIR.

Currently:

🟤 81.3% of FBIR is in Moderate Drought (D1)
🟠 18.7% of FBIR is now in Severe Drought (D2)

The greatest impacts are occurring in the Four Bears and West Segments. Approximately 80.6% of Four Bears and 61.2% of the West Segment are now classified as Severe Drought. D2 has also expanded farther into the South Segment, where approximately 10.5% is now classified as Severe Drought.

The North, Northeast, and East Segments remain entirely within Moderate Drought.

What does this mean for wildfire potential?

As drought persists and worsens, vegetation and wildland fuels continue to lose moisture.

🔥 Grasses and other fine fuels become increasingly dry and receptive to ignition.
🔥 Fires can start more easily and spread rapidly, particularly during windy conditions.
🔥 Larger and heavier fuels, such as branches, logs, and other woody debris, can continue to dry and become more available to burn as drought persists.
🔥 Hot temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds can quickly increase wildfire activity and make fires more difficult to contain.

Although portions of the area have received some rainfall, much of the reservation remains in a precipitation deficit for this time of year. Rain can provide temporary relief and increase moisture in grasses and other fine fuels, but those fuels can dry quickly again during warm, dry, and windy weather. Recent rainfall has not been enough to eliminate the longer-term drought conditions affecting FBIR.

Above Normal Wildfire Potential

The National Interagency Fire Center's current outlook places western North Dakota, including the Fort Berthold Reservation, in Above Normal Significant Wildland Fire Potential for August and September.

This does not mean that a significant wildfire will occur. It means conditions are expected to be more favorable than usual for significant wildland fires when an ignition occurs.

Help Prevent Wildfires

🔥 Use extra caution with equipment or activities that can create sparks.
🔥 Properly extinguish campfires and other outdoor fires.
🔥 Avoid parking or driving vehicles through tall, dry grass.
🔥 Follow current burn restrictions and fire safety recommendations.
🔥 Report wildfires immediately by calling 911.

TAT Fire Management will continue monitoring drought conditions, weather, and wildfire potential across the Fort Berthold Reservation and will provide updates as conditions change.

-Three Affiliated Tribes Fire Management