By James MacPherson
The Associated Press
BISMARCK, N.D. — John Muth, a volunteer firefighter who owns a plumbing business in southwestern North Dakota, is more like a full-time firefighter these days.
His fire department in Hettinger has fought 22 grass fires since June 26 and many of the state’s volunteer firefighters are battling both the blazes and burnout.
“It’s unusual,” said Muth, a 32-year veteran of the fire department in Hettinger, a town of 1,300 people in the southwest corner of the state.
Ray Lambert, the state fire marshal, said about a fourth of the state’s 380 volunteer fire departments have handled more calls this summer because dry conditions have increased the risk of fires.
“We’re now having some departments responding to two or three fires a day,” said Lambert. “These are volunteers that are working eight to 12 hours already. Taking time away from their jobs and their families to go chase fires is very trying.”
The state has seen a spike in rural grass fires just in the past month, when temperatures soared above 100 degrees in Bismarck and Dickinson, he said.
“The numbers are increasing, they’re increasing in size, and the amount of time spent at the fires and the number of crews responding have increased,” Lambert said.
Hettinger Fire Chief Mahlon Schweigert said most of his department’s 25 volunteers have responded to every blaze this summer — including three on Tuesday morning.
“People just give up their jobs and come out and do it,” Schweigert said. “If there’s going to be a fire, I want it to happen after 5 o’clock when people are off work.”
Schweigert said some businesses keep their employees on the clock even though they’re out fighting fires. “A lot of the businesses just take it as community service,” he said. “The worst is the self-employed people — it really puts a financial burden on them.”
Muth said he puts in extra hours at his plumbing business to make up for the time he fights fires for free. “You just work a little bit longer, putting in a night here or a Saturday there, or whatever it takes,” he said.
North Dakota has about 8,000 volunteer firefighters, Lambert said.
“The normal activities that a volunteer fire department has to contend with year round is difficult enough,” Lambert said. “The increased activity starting now will be wearing very, very thin on departments and the volunteers.”
Lambert said the increase in fire calls this summer also is burning up local budgets.
“Running fire equipment is getting more expensive — fuel costs alone have tripled over five years ago,” he said. “It takes $300 to $500 in fuel costs just to roll out for a grass fire. It certainly is going to weigh heavily on communities if the conditions don’t improve.”
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On the Net:
North Dakota Firefighter’s Association: http://www.ndfa.net