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.

“Prescribed fires are the district’s most cost effective land management tool,” said Drew Ullberg, director of natural resources for the Forest Preserve District. “All of our native communities are fire adapted and need fire to thrive.”

• LeRoy Oakes in St. Charles
• Dick Young Forest Preserve in Batavia
• Burlington Prairie in Burlington
• Freeman-Kame Forest Preserve in Gilberts
• Almon Underwood in Kaneville
• Johnson’s Mound in Elburn
• Muirhead Springs Forest Preserve in Hampshire
• Burnidge Forest Preserve in Elgin
• Sauer Family/Prairie Kame Forest Preserve in Elburn
• Aurora West Forest Preserve in Aurora
• Fitchie Creek Forest Preserve in Elgin
• Great Western Trail in St. Charles
• Hannaford Woods Forest Preserve in Sugar Grove
• Mill Creek Forest Preserve in Batavia
• Grunwald Farms Forest Preserve in Elburn

• Helm Woods Forest Preserve in Barrington
• Burnidge Forest Preserve in Elgin
• Hannaford Woods Forest Preserve in Sugar Grove
• Blackberry Maples Forest Preserve in Elburn
• Fitchie Creek Forest Preserve in Elgin
• Hampshire Forest Preserve in Hampshire
• LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve in St. Charles

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.