Two North Dakota National Guard helicopters, a Huey and a larger Blackhawk, made quick work of a fire in an area southeast of Bismarck known as the "Desert" on Monday, leaving Bismarck Rural Fire Department crews to mop up.

The fire was set off early Sunday afternoon by an Army Reserve parachute flare. It was incorrectly reported in Monday's paper that the Guard set off the flare. By noon Monday, the fire had consumed about two square miles of land, according to Bismarck Rural Fire Chief Keith Sailer, but most of it was under control with about a three-quarter mile line of bush and trees still ablaze. Sunday's winds, which had helped spread the fire, had switched and were aiding efforts to put it out by pushing it toward the Missouri River.

At first, access was at best difficult, if not impossible, according to Sailer. Most of the affected area is marshy bogs covered with cattails. Most of the volunteer fire department's equipment was ineffective, too heavy to enter the impacted area. This prompted the request for assistance to the North Dakota Division of Emergency Management for the use of a National Guard helicopter.

After Sunday's response, firefighters took a break for a couple of hours early Monday morning, returning to fight the fire with about eight people at 4 a.m. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and North Dakota Game and Fish Department provided crews and equipment to help contain the fire.

Firefighter Scott Summers said that even attacking the fire with the department's all-terrain vehicles was difficult, given the wet terrain and limited capacity of water the ATVs could carry.

"We can't be out there very long because we can only take 50 to 75 gallons of water with us at a time," Summers said. "It's pretty much under control."

The Burleigh County Commission held an emergency meeting on Monday morning, authorizing funding to fight the fire. Emergency Manager Mary Senger said a request had been put in to the North Dakota Division of Emergency Management for a helicopter to dump water on the fire.

"They actually sent out two helicopters and they worked for about two hours dumping water on the fire," Sailer said. "They made pretty quick work of it. We'll stay out here to mop up and put out any of the little fires that pop up."

National Guard spokes-man Mike Jennings said the cost for using the two helicopters would be about $6,000. Sailer estimated the Blackhawk could carry about 1,500 gallons of water a trip and the Huey about 650 gallons.

"We're hoping, however, whomever was responsible for igniting the fire will be responsible for the costs of putting it out," Burleigh County Auditor Kevin Glatt said.

Army Reserve spokesman Capt. Russell Wolf said about 50 reservists were participating in a field training exercise on Sunday, which simulated attacks and ambushes.

"One of the ways we enhance the training is to use flares," Wolf said. "One of the flares drifted into the area in question. Originally we had our guys run in there and try to put it out, but it was spreading too quickly, and for their own safety we got them out of there. We had called the fire department for help."

The flare, according to Wolf, is a hand-held device incorporating a chemical that is sent into the air to mark an area and floats back down with a parachute. "Normally they burn out before they hit the ground, but this one didn't," Wolf said.

What responsibility the Army Reserve will take for the incident has yet to be determined, though proper notification through the chain of command has been made, Wolf said. "Those decisions will be made above us."

Several agencies participated in fighting the fire, according to Senger, including the Bismarck Rural Fire Department, Burleigh County Sheriff's Department, Red Cross, Bismarck-Burleigh Communications, North Dakota Game and Fish, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, local and state emergency management offices, Burleigh County Commission, North Dakota National Guard, U.S. Army Reserve and the Burleigh County Highway Department.

(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 250-8255 or gordon.weixel@bismarcktribune.com.)