I want to express my appreciation for the hard work and quick action of the firefighters and first responders who fought and contained the recent fires in the Minot area. The Minot Rural Fire Department, Minot Fire Department, Burlington Fire Department and firefighters from across the region did an outstanding job of responding to the fires and preventing a large-scale disaster.

An estimated 15 fire departments and 100 to 120 firefighters, along with resources from the Minot Air Force Base, contributed to the successful resolution of this emergency. I thank and commend each of them for their service and their acts of courage and professionalism.

Local officials with the City of Minot, Ward County Commission and Ward County Emergency Management did a fine job of leading local emergency efforts. At the Emergency Operations Center in Minot, I had the opportunity to thank some of them in person, but want to recognize and thank them publicly, as well.