"It's just the beginning of the fire season," said Scott Summers, Bismarck Rural Fire Department captain.

On Saturday Bismarck Rural crews answered five calls, none of which Summers amounted to much, at least nothing like the 1,000 acre fire the Sterling Rural Fire Department had to deal with. Two more calls came in by Sunday afternoon, but both were dispatched with relative ease.

The calls included an out-of-control camp fire at the Kimball Bottoms; two small fires along Interstate 94; Eagles Parks, where some logs were on fire; a small fire in the "desert" south of Bismarck, some rubbish aflame on north 26th Street and 149th Ave., and on 15 acres belonging to Cody Schonert west of Bismarck.

It was fairly quiet west of the Missouri River, according to Mandan Rural Fire Department chief Lynn Gustin.

"There was on fairly big one south of Huff about 2 miles on Highway 1806," Gustin said. "They had a burning barrel that they left unattended and it burned up quite a bit of the yard, the corral and a couple of out buildings belonging to Dave Wille."

Summers pointed out there is a burning ban on the Oahe Bottoms until June 1. With warm temperatures, low humidity, no moisture and wind, conditions have been perfect for grasses and trees to catch fire. Until green-up, rural fire departments will be kept busy and praying for rain.

"Our policy right now is that we've told the sheriff's department to not give permission to requests for controlled burns, not at least until we have some rain," Gustin said. "There's nothing official out yet, but it's very dry right now, and we have some extremely bad conditions with all the dry, dead vegetation out there."

Gustin added that the department has been getting a number of calls in which fire danger was unsubstantiated, but a crew was sent out to check on the situation.

"One time someone was burning some rubbish, and another they were just grilling steaks," Gustin said. "It would be nice if people would check to see if there really is a fire. When we have a lot of false calls, it takes us away from what might be a real emergency."

Summers suggests that anyone considering a controlled burn check on the fire index and have some source of water available in case things get out of control.

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