High winds and dry conditions contributed to rural grass fires Saturday afternoon, officials said.

The Bismarck Rural Fire Department responded to two grass fires Saturday: one on 145th Street Southeast and Highway 1804, the other south of United Tribes Technical College on Burleigh Avenue and Airway Avenue.

Neither fire caused much damage, Bismarck Rural Fire Assistant Chief Dan Burgard said.

The first fire, reported at around 1 p.m., was caused by power lines that were blown into a patch of trees, Burgard said.

He said sparks from the contact blew into a pasture and feedlot area but were noticed quickly. Several "spot fires" started but caused little damage, he said. The fire was contained by 1:40 p.m.

"The wind just blew embers all over," Burgard said.

Capital Electric Cooperative representative Wes Engbrecht said he was not aware of any power outage caused by the incident.

The second fire, reported at around 1:30 p.m., apparently was started by something, perhaps a cigarette, being tossed into a garbage pile, Burgard said. It was contained within the hour. The fire burned an acre or two, but resulted in no major damage.

Precipitation has been lower than average this season, said Kevin Birk with the National Weather Service's Bismarck office. And Saturday, winds were gusting at more than 45 mph.

"With this particular system, we've got dry conditions coming into the region,"he said. "Coupled with dormant vegetation and low precipitation, it's prime condition for grass fires."

Burgard said the rural fire department is gearing up for what could be a tough fire season if the area doesn't get more moisture.

Birk said the area has received .97 inches of precipitation since January; the average is 1.73 inches.

"As far as this being a season for possible grass fires? Yes,"he said.