A wildfire that burned an estimated 15,000 acres on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation has been contained, and North Dakota National Guard soldiers are prepared to head to the region to bring relief to tired firefighters, should they get the call.

Gov. John Hoeven and state Homeland Security Director Greg Wilz also planned to tour the area this morning, when the firefighting effort was to be turned over to a Bureau of Indian Affairs team. The "incident management teams" involve up to 42 firefighters and support crews, coming in from other areas, said Don Canton, a spokesman for Hoeven.

In addition to the soldiers on standby, the Guard also has provided two helicopters with water buckets to fight the blaze from the air.

The fire is believed to have been started by lightning during a Tuesday storm. Sioux County Sheriff Frank Landeis said late Wednesday that he believed there was little danger the blaze would rage out of control again.

However, "We've still got quite a few hot spots, a lot of smoke coming up," he said.

No buildings had been lost, the sheriff said. The fire did come within about 750 feet of one rancher's home, according to a report from the state Department of Emergency Services, but firefighters were able to save it.

Rancher Allen Lund said Wednesday that because of the wind switching directions, "the fire had a mind of its own last night." He credited firefighters with saving his ranch.

No major injuries were reported, though two firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion.

On Tuesday night, at least nine homes were evacuated and hundreds of cattle were moved. Landeis said the fire between Selfridge and Fort Yates was at least 15 miles long and 5 or 6 miles wide at one point.

"The whole sky in the west was ablaze," said rancher Jody Luger.

Luger said drought conditions have deflated area ranchers, and his brother, Bruz, said he might have to sell off some of his cattle.

"If we get a good rain, a 2-inch rain … then the grass starts coming back," Jody Luger said. "But it won't be until next year that it will be any good at all."

Central and western North Dakota have seen numerous grass fires in recent days.

"Over the last 24 hours we've had reports of possibly 14 to 18 fires, most of those being what we would consider larger fires - 300 acres or larger," Geremy Olson, a fire specialist with the North Dakota Forest Service, said Wednesday.

Olson said there have been no major injuries, but firefighters are getting worn out.

"A lot of the departments are being stretched to about the end of their resources," he said.