A change in wind direction sent Bismarck Rural firefighters back to a smoldering fire that they've been watching for about a week.

A strong southwest wind blew smoke into a housing development near the "Desert" about 10 miles south of Bismarck. Concerned homeowners called 911 Wednesday afternoon, prompting the rural fire department to return with a couple trucks and firefighters.

"When you put a fire like this out you can't put it out completely," Reed Overson with the fire department said. "It would take thousands of firefighters and millions of gallons of water."

Instead, the fire department and the North Dakota Game and Fish Department have worked together to keep the flames from spreading. They cut down trees, they doused the parameter and they cut a fire line with a bulldozer.

Overson said it's unlikely the blaze will spread, but they plan to monitor it for awhile.

"It's going to smolder for weeks," he said. "There's so much dead timber down there, it's unbelievable."

The fire was believed to have been started by lightning during last week's storm. The last report was that the fire burned an estimated 350 acres and flared up multiple times.

Overson said conditions are ripe for fires. He asked families spending the Labor Day weekend outdoors to keep a close eye on their fires and make sure they're out before leaving the campground. Overson also said anyone doing fall cleanup to call in controlled burns, check weather conditions, never burn after dark and never leave a fire unattended.

"It's that time of year," he said. "We're still into pretty dangerous wildfire season here."

(Reach reporter Mike Albrecht at 250-8261 or cops@ndonline.com.)