Sparks flew across Burleigh and Morton counties Friday as fires scorched dry hay fields in the drought-stricken area.

"Of course, the conditions are extremely dry and volatile,"said Bismarck Rural Fire Chief Al Klein. "It's just like gasoline out there."

Fires near Driscoll, New Salem and Bismarck started when sparks from farm machinery hit dry hay fields.

More than 80 acres of a hay field north of Driscoll burned Friday afternoon, said Sterling Rural Fire Chief Dwayne Frederick.

A fire nine miles east of New Salem burned about 75 acres of hay later in the afternoon, said New Salem Fire Chief Delton Kautzman.

The fire was extinguished by firefighters, but they felt a lot better when about four-tenths of an inch of rain fell, he said.

"We had a little rain come on top of it,"he said. "The rain should help keep (the fire) out."

A small fire north of Bismarck burned about three acres of hay and three hay bales, Klein said.

Sparks from farm machinery don't start fires in normal conditions, but the area is so dry that it doesn't take much to get a blaze going, Frederick said.

"Right now, all they've got to do is hit a rock and get a spark in the right place, and a fire will start,"he said.

Lightning from an afternoon storm started at least one fire Friday. Klein said lightning struck a hay bale south of Highway 10 on 66th Street Southeast, burning the bale and a small square of land around it.

(Reach reporter Jenny Michael at 250-8225 or jenny.michael@;bismarcktribune.com)