UPDATE: Well site fire in Mountrail County fully extinguished

MOUNTRAIL COUNTY, N.D. (KMOT) – UPDATE (3/25/23 at 1 p.m.): Williston Fire crews spent Friday night monitoring the site of a well pad fire in Mountrail County.

Williston Fire Department and Williston Emergency Management worked through the night to assist with the mitigation efforts. Crews were able to fully extinguish the fire at 3:51 a.m. Saturday. All crews have now been cleared from the scene.

The well site is operated by Hess, which will be conducting further mitigation and clean-up efforts.

UPDATE (3/24/23 at 8 p.m.): In an updated release from the Williston Fire Department, investigators said five tanks were involved in a fire, on the site at the intersection of 90th Avenue NW and 55th Street NW, between New Town and Ross. Crews will remain on scene throughout the night to monitor air quality. They said their department has four firefighters on scene with the Hazardous Materials Response Unit and a command vehicle from Williams County/Williston Emergency Management.

Rob Young, Senior Communications & External Affairs Manager with Hess, provided the following statement:

On behalf of Hess I can confirm that a fire occurred at an isolated Hess storage site 20 miles South of Tioga in Mountrail County. The site houses 8 storage tanks which include separate water tanks and oil tanks. There have been no injuries and all people have been accounted for at site. For your awareness Hess responded to the incident to contain the fire working in close collaboration with the local fire department and law enforcement. In addition to the on-site response Hess has shut down the site and notified regulatory authorities. Hess has also stood-up our emergency response team to help manage and co-ordinate the response to the incident. We have started to organize for the deployment of our environmental clean-up team who will access the site to undertake an evaluation once it is deemed safe to do so. Hess is committed to cleaning up any release and we will also investigate the incident to understand the cause and any lessons learned.

UPDATE (3/24/23 at 5 p.m.): Williston Fire Assistant Chief Corey Johnson says his department will have a crew on site overnight monitoring air conditions to ensure safety.

He says crews have not observed any abnormalities in the area of the fire as of 5 p.m. Friday.

Johnson says the scene is contained to a small fire.

ORIGINAL STORY (3/24/23 at 4 p.m.): A well site southwest of Ross operated by Hess caught fire Friday morning, according to the Mountrail County Sheriff.

Sheriff Corey Bristol says the call came in around 9 a.m. of the fire at the site along 90th Avenue, near 51st Street.

Bristol said no one was hurt, and there’s no word yet on the cause of the fire.

He said the fire was mostly contained as of 2:30 p.m.

Bristol said New Town Rural Fire and ambulance also responded.

Corey Johnson, Assistant Chief with the Williston Fire Department, said Williston Fire and Williams County Emergency Management were being called to the scene for mutual aid and to monitor air quality.

Johnson clarified with Your News Leader that information in a release sent out Friday afternoon indicating that the fire was in the New Town area was not correct.

Johnson said the site housed two wells and five storage tanks.

Your News Leader has reached out to a spokesperson for Hess and will update as we learn more.