Wildfire in North Dakota, July 5, 2002

Name: Wildfire in North Dakota, July 5, 2002
Start: 2002-07-05T11:00
End: 2002-07-05T21:00
Location: North Dakota

July 5, 2002 · NWS BIS · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A large grassland fire burned approximately 36,000 acres, claiming 17 residences and 21 outbuildings. The fire was fueled bytemperatures above 100 degrees and gusty winds.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS BIS wrote it up.

A large grassland fire burned approximately 36,000 acres, claiming 17 residences and 21 outbuildings. The fire was fueled bytemperatures above 100 degrees and gusty winds. The rangeland fire danger index was in the extreme category.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Bismarck, ND wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 5, 2:00 AM CST, 9 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 5, 2:00 AM CST, 9 hours before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BISMARCK ND
300 AM CDT FRI JUL 5 2002

SHORT WAVE MOVES THROUGH THE SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT THIS MORNING
MOVING INTO SOUTHEASTERN ONTARIO THIS AFTERNOON. SURFACE BOUNDARY
IN WESTERN CWA WILL MOVE SLOWLY EAST DURING THE DAY. MAIN PROBLEM
WILL BE WHEN AND WHERE CONVECTION WILL OCCUR AND TEMPERATURES. CURRENT
CONVECTION IN THE NORTHWEST WILL MOVE EAST...NORTHEAST ALONG THE
CANADIAN BORDER THIS MORNING.

COLD FRONT WILL MAKE A SLOW EAST TRACK ACROSS THE REGION TODAY...
ALTHOUGH NOT MUCH MOISTURE WITH THE SYSTEM AND SOME LIFT WILL KEEP
A SMALL CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ALONGS ITS PATH.

TONIGHT...MAY SEE EARLY CONVECTION CENTRAL AND EAST...OTHERWISE
DURING THE OVERNIGHT BROAD H5 HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE OVER THE MIDWEST
EDGES NORTHWARD WITH SURFACE HIGH NOSING IN FROM THE NORTHWEST AND
BRING MAINLY CLEAR SKIES AND SOMEWHAT COOLER AIR SATURDAY.

FOR THE REST OF THE FORECAST...
PERIOD WARM H5 RIDGE WILL DOMINATE THE PICTURE WITH A FEW WEAK
RIPPLES MOVING THROUGH BUT MAINLY DRY. AT THE SURFACE HIGH
PRESSURE WILL MOVE SLOWLY EAST THROUGH THE REGION WITH BROAD LOW
PRESSURE DEVELOPING TO THE WEST OF THE CWA.

.BIS...NONE.
RGT

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Sioux

When: July 5, 11:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Sioux County, 10 mi W of Selfridge
Reported by: FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
Coordinates: 46.113, -101.040 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Wildfire: A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in North Dakota in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in North Dakota, July 2002

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5309996.