On August 29, 2023 at approximately 10:30 AM, the Ward County Sheriff’s Department responded to a report of a house fire in Sawyer, North Dakota that was received by State Radio in Bismarck. A Ward County Deputy responding to the fire observed a car quickly leaving the scene upon arrival.
Shortly thereafter, an off duty McHenry County Deputy at the scene of the fire received a report of a half-naked male running around in Velva, North Dakota. Deputies responded to Velva and located a 35-year-old male resident of the house fire in Sawyer that was apprehended for warrants unrelated to the fire. The Ward County Sheriff’s Department is currently investigating the cause of the fire.