When is a fire a good thing? When it’s a carefully controlled, prescribed burn in your local Kane County forest preserves.

Each fall and spring, the Forest Preserve District of Kane County conducts prescribed burns across prairies, woodlands and wetlands in an effort to improve or maintain the ecological health of the forest preserves. These carefully monitored burns release nutrients from burned plant materials, encourage seed growth and open the woodland floor to sunlight. Native wildflowers and plants will later flourish, as a result. Prescribed burns also reduce the abundance of non-native brush such as buckthorn.

“Fire is a natural and essential ingredient of healthy native ecosystems,” said Drew Ullberg, director of natural resources for the Forest Preserve District. “Fires perform a ‘house cleaning’ function for nature and woodlands. Prairies are adapted to fire, and depend on it to maintain their unique character.”

Grassland/wetland sites targeted for the fall burn season include portions of the following (in order of priority):

•  Dick Young Forest Preserve in Batavia
• LeRoy Oakes (the Murray Prairie) in St. Charles
• Pingree Grove Forest Preserve in Hampshire
• Sauer Family/Prairie Kame Forest Preserve in Elburn
• Burnidge Forest Preserve in Elgin
• Aurora West Forest Preserve in Aurora
• Otter Creek Forest Preserve in Elgin
• Kenyon Farm Forest Preserve in South Elgin
• Grunwald Farms Forest Preserve in Elburn
• Mill Creek Forest Preserve in Batavia
• Bolcum Road Wetlands in St. Charles

Woodland sites targeted for this burn season include portions of the following (in order of priority):

• Helm Woods Forest Preserve in Barrington
• Bliss Woods Forest Preserve in Sugar Grove
• Freeman-Kame Forest Preserve/Camp Tomo Chi-Chi Knolls in Gilberts
• Hannaford Woods/Nickels Farm Forest Preserve in Sugar Grove
• Blackberry Maples Forest Preserve in Elburn
• Fabyan Forest Preserve in Geneva
• Burnidge Forest Preserve in Elgin
• Andersen Woods Forest Preserve in Saint Charles
• Elburn Forest Preserve in Elburn
• Glenwood Park Forest Preserve in Batavia

High-quality sites which are designated as Illinois Nature Preserves always take first priority on the burn list.

Before a prescribed burn, trained staff survey the preserve and create a detailed plan of action. They then carefully monitor the weather and wait until conditions are right, to minimize the chance of smoke blowing toward homes and roads. District staff also notifies neighboring residents via mail, so that those with health concerns can avoid the smoke.

Information is also posted on the Web site at www.kaneforest.com and on the district’s various social media.

For more information on prescribed burns, contact the Forest Preserve District of Kane County at 630-232-5980.

SOURCE: Kane County Forest Preserve District press release