People in Burleigh and Morton counties are urged to inform authorities before they begin their controlled burns this spring.

Burleigh County Emergency Manager Mary Senger and Morton County Emergency Manager Tammy Lapp-Harris are asking people to give county sheriff's departments their names, numbers and locations before starting controlled burns.

The emergency managers also ask people to report back to their sheriff's departments when the fires are extinguished.

Burleigh County Sheriff's Maj. Nick Sevart said his department receives two to three reports of fires every month that end up being unreported controlled burns. Sheriff's department deputies and rural fire departments have to respond to the fires, because they don't know the blazes are intentional, he said.

When deputies and fire units have to respond to controlled fires unnecessarily, it pulls them from other duties or puts them in positions where it can be hard to respond to important calls, Sevart said.

Senger said many rural fire department members are volunteers.

"So, we're pulling them away from full-time jobs to respond to something that's really not an emergency," she said. "It might take away from an actual emergency that's going on."

Lapp-Harris said emergency managers have been fielding complaints from rural fire departments officials who have had to chase fires that turn out to be controlled burns. Staff energy won't be wasted chasing controlled burns if fire and emergency officials know of the burns ahead of time, she said.

Sevart said knowing about controlled burns also can help authorities inform people about potential problems.

"If we're expecting a wind storm, we can contact people and tell them to wait," Sevart said.

Sevart said it's important for people to stay with their fires until they're completely out. Lighting the fire and leaving can cause problems, he said.

"If they're out there with it, they can make the call before it gets too big,"he said.

Senger and Lapp-Harris said people need to call 911 if a controlled burn gets too big or uncontrollable. They also should have resources, such as tractors and shovels, close by in case a fire gets out of hand.

Before starting a controlled burn, people should check the North Dakota Rural Fire Guide. If fire danger is considered "extreme," open burning and off-road motorized travel are prohibited. Lapp-Harris said officials would prefer that people not start controlled burns when their area is in the "very high" fire danger category.

The guide can be found at www.nd.gov/des/info/firedanger.html. Currently, no part of North Dakota is considered in extreme danger, but much of the western part of the state is considered in "high" or "very high"danger.

Senger said it's too early to tell if this summer will have as active a fire season as last summer. Recent rains have been welcome, but a few days of high temperatures and strong winds can change the outlook, she said.

"It can put us in a dire situation," she said.

Lapp-Harris said emergency managers are hoping they don't have to ban burning like was done in many counties last summer.

"But I guess we'll see what the weather does," she said.

People planning controlled burns in Burleigh County should first call the Burleigh County Sheriff's Department at 222-6651. People planning controlled burns in Morton County should call the Morton County Dispatch Center at 667-3318.

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