The Cass County Board of Commissioners has declared a fire emergency and enacted burn restrictions through November 30, 2026, due to abundant dry vegetation and ongoing hot, dry, and windy weather conditions.

The restrictions will be in effect whenever the North Dakota Rangeland Fire Danger Rating for Cass County is classified as High, Very High, or Extreme, and/or when a Red Flag Warning is issued by the National Weather Service.

What’s Included:

No Open Burning: Includes campfires, controlled burns (i.e., wood piles, tumbleweeds, tree piles, etc.), cropland/agricultural burning, fireworks (aerial and ground), garbage/pit burning

Violations of the burn restriction are classified as a Class B misdemeanor under North Dakota Century Code 37-17.1-10.1 and may result in up to 30 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,500.

Residents need to check the daily Fire Danger Rating before conducting any burning. The rating is available at ndresponse.gov/burn.

Southern Valley Fire & Rescue, formerly known as the Horace Rural Fire Protection District, is a combination department made up of full-time, part-time and volunteer staff. We are publicly funded through taxes assessed on all property in our response district. We proudly provide fire and emergency services to Briarwood, Horace, Hickson, Oxbow, Wild Rice, Prairie Rose, Frontier and St. Benedict as well as the townships of Stanley Township, Pleasant Township and parts of Warren Township, as well as mutual aid to several other departments.

Southern Valley Fire & Rescue is managed by an elected Board of Trustees. The Board oversees all the regular business of the District. Southern Valley Fire & Rescue currently has 33 members that dedicate themselves to their community. Officers are promoted through the district through a hiring process. These officers oversee the daily operations of the District.

Southern Valley Fire & Rescue is a fire and light rescue response team. We not only respond to fires but also to other emergencies, such as vehicle accidents, farm accidents, hazardous materials incidents, medical calls, and more.

Southern Valley Fire & Rescue completes extensive training throughout the year. All fire and rescue members are required to be CPR certified. Many of our firefighters hold multiple certifications including, but not limited to the following: Automobile Extrication, Firefighter I and II, Hazardous Materials (Haz-Mat) Operations & Fire Instructor.  Our rescue members hold Emergency Medical Responder (EMR), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification or Paramedic certifications.

Southern Valley Fire & Rescue has stations located in Horace and Hickson, both located in Cass County. We utilize 3 engines, tower (ladder) truck, pumper trucks, grass rigs, tenders and others for the various calls we respond to throughout the year.