05/22/2026
🚨New Salem Fire Department Extinguishes Grass Fire🚨
New Salem Fire Department was dispatched to a grass fire approximately 10 miles east and 2 miles north of New Salem around 345 pm Wednesday afternoon. Our first two units were enroute to the call around 350 pm. A deputy from Morton County Sheriff's Office arrived on scene and advised crews that the fire would likely require the department's tanker for additional water. Another page was struck requesting the tanker and additional firefighters. The two first-arriving units found heavy smoke and a northward advancing fire being pushed by south winds gusting to 35 mph, and began attacking the fires flanks. They made initial knockdown of the fire, and stopped its advance which was only about a mile south of a farmyard. Thick dead grass mixed with newly green grasses made full extinguishmemt challenging, but the additional units arrived, and crews controlled the fire by 500 pm. Firefighters then did extensive mop up of hot spots in the fire perimeter before clearing the scene by 630 pm. In total approximately 15 acres burned in the fire. New Salem Fire Department responded with 15 firefighters and 7 units (Attack 1/9050, Brush 1, Brush 2, Brush 3, Attack 2, Tanker 1, and Tanker 2). The department is also grateful to a landowner for bringing additional water to the scene in case it was needed.
