Early on July 18, an explosion shook the bypass area north of the Three Affiliated Tribes’ headquarters at New Town, N.D.
As flames broke out and black pillows of smoke from the blast site surged skyward, nearby resident Valorie Brady marveled, “It shook my house. It was too close to home,” she told Buffalo’s Fire.
The New Town Fire Department received a report that the incident occurred on the Fort Berthold Reservation. The Minot Daily News said it was an oil-field explosion.
Personnel from multiple agencies assisted with traffic and safety at the scene located on N.D. Highway 23-1804 and College Drive. According to a fire department update, responders reopened the route while the incident was still active. They asked locals to be cautious while driving, as well as to slow down and move over if needed. The scene was reported to be stable, with no ongoing hazards to the community.
However, Brady said, “I was worried about what was going to be in the air after that explosion. Would it affect our breathing it in?”
Adrianna Adame
Former Indigenous Democracy Reporter
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