National Guard helicopters put out large fire in Morton County

Authorities dispatched fire crews to rural Morton County at about 1 a.m. Sunday morning to respond to a large fire on private property west of the Backwater Bridge.

According to authorities, the terrain prevented the Mandan Rural Fire Department from reaching the fire.

At about 8:45, the National Guard took two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters with 600-gallon water buckets to put out the fire.

"Public safety is paramount and with the chance of high winds today we needed completely extinguish the fire to prevent damage to property and injury to those in the area." Maj. Gen. Alan Dohrmann, North Dakota National Guard adjutant general.

The helicopter crews extinguished the fire with no damage to infrastructure.

A spokesperson says the Morton County Sheriff's Department is investigating and will ask for assistance from the State Fire Marshall.