Fit a clear bowl over much of North Dakota, shake it, and you'd have a prairie snow globe. The light, fluffy flakes dancing across the grasslands are not much more than decoration, producing little moisture. If the dry trend continues, come early spring and summer, the liquid in the globe may be needed to put out grassfires.

Indications are that North Dakota will experience a severe fire season, potentially worse than last year when grass fires ravaged parts of Grant and Sioux counties, said North Dakota Forest Service Fire Management Coordinator Mike Santucci. Drought monitors reveal abnormally dry conditions in the northern part of the state, extreme drought west of the Missouri River and moderate drought throughout the remainder of the state. The moisture that has accumulated in January and February of this year is 30 to 50 percent below average.

"We're actually sitting worse right now than we were last year at this time," Santucci said.

It would potentially take 44 inches of the light, dry snow currently falling in the state to equal one inch of moisture, Santucci said. With moisture levels in the southwest part of the state 2 or 3 inches below average, more than 100 inches are needed to make up the moisture deficit.

"That's why we're thinking that we'll go into the fire season dry," Santucci said. "If you want me to say to expect the worst fire season ever, I can't say that. But it's going to be a difficult season and that's how we're preparing."

Hazardous fire conditions traditionally appear after the snow melts and before vegetation greens. The threat subsides for a few months after spring rains then returns in the late summer, Santucci said. The entire state experiences dangerous fire conditions after the initial thaw. In the summer, grasslands west of the Missouri River, especially in the southern part of the state, have traditionally suffered the worst drought and fires.

"They've traditionally had bigger and more fires," Santucci said, referring major fires in Billings County in 2001 and McKenzie County in 2000.

Santucci predicts that the danger zone will likely expand this summer to include some counties east of the Missouri River. He said parts of the state that are usually free of bigger fires may fall victim.

Drought information was recently spread to fire departments across the state through e-mails, phone calls and letters. To help local fire departments prepare, the state is providing technical and financial assistance, which includes 15 different fire classes and a workshop. The workshop will be held April 1 by interactive video in Watford City, Williston, Dickinson, Minot, Bismarck, Grafton and Fargo. It is an opportunity to discuss the summer outlook, review local response plans and discuss how the state can provide assistance in the event of a major fire.

"Local fire departments are the backbone in North Dakota, so we have to get the fire conditions out in as much of a timely manner as possible," Santucci said.

Chief Rod Hochhalter said the Bismarck Rural Fire Department is aware of the potential conditions and has taken a proactive approach to prevent summer fires. Last year, the department kept busy fighting fires caused by human error, so this year, they want educate the community on how to keep themselves and their property safe. With a booth at the upcoming Bismarck-Mandan Homebuilders Association Home Show and other public events planned, Hochhalter hopes to spread safety tips on controlled burns and campfires.

"We had a horrific summer last year with wildfires, and the more we can do to keep those from happening the better," Hochhalter said. "The best weapon we have is to get people to be careful, and that's what we're trying to do."

The Bismarck Fire Department doesn't have much open grassland or many wooded areas to protect, but Battalion Chief Don Peterson said they help the Bismarck Rural Fire Department if it's needed. Peterson said the fire department is aware of the conditions but hasn't made any major strategy changes.

"We're going to be very aware of the conditions, and we'll have to really consider them in a month or so, depending on our moisture conditions," he said. "And we'll certainly be talking about it."

If a fire exceeds local capabilities, the state can provide assistance and tap into the national dispatch system to bring in resources from across the country. In preparation, Santucci said state and federal agencies are working to fully coordinate through the North Dakota Fire Council and the North Dakota Dispatch Center so they can improve response capabilities.

The North Dakota National Guard is part of the state's response plan, and despite the threat of war, the guard has promised some resources. Santucci said they'll find out later this month how much.

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