Prescription Fire Program
Taking Care of Nature
Although fire can be threatening and destructive, it is an invaluable natural resource management tool that helps restore and maintain ecosystems.
Since 1975, the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County has used prescription fire to help restore native ecosystems and help clear away weedy, non-native vegetation.
The District manages more than 23,000 acres of open space at more than 50 different preserves. Picnic and camping areas, trails and parking lots make up only 10 percent of the District's land holdings. The remaining 90 percent is to remain in a natural state. To help restore and preserve the biological integrity of this land, the District uses fire as a key management tool on as much as 2,000 acres each year.
Natural History of Fire
Prior to 1830, when northern Illinois was tall grass prairie and savanna, fire was as much a part of the landscape as the naturally occurring forces of droughts, floods, blizzards, insect infestations and disease outbreaks.
Our native plants and animals are adapted to life with periodic burning. The main growing part of most prairie plants is in the roots. Some plants have roots up to 14 feet deep. Therefore, roots of native plants are not damaged by fire.
In pre-settlement times, fire occurred naturally, but was also started intentionally by man. Deliberately set fires were an important tool of native Americans who used fires to control flies and mosquitoes, to reduce ground cover for ease of travel and for hunting.
Today's man-made controlled fires simply continue a process that nature had started thousands of years ago on the Illinois prairie.
Why We Use Prescription Fire
Fire is often perceived as a destructive and deadly force that scares people, but the Forest Preserve District views fire as a natural and necessary component of native ecosystems. While fire can be destructive under some circumstances, it enhances ecosystems when used properly.
When DuPage County was prairie, wetland and scattered open forests, naturally occurring wildfires frequently swept through this landscape and kept our prairies and woodlands open. Today, the District maintains this open landscape and controls non-native and invasive plant growth with prescribed fire. The fires maintain these areas by killing or stunting invading woody and brushy vegetation, and recycles nutrients back into the soil while promoting the growth of native fire-tolerant plant species.
Because of the speed of the flames and the insulating properties of the soil, animals can avoid the fire. Directly behind the fire line, the ground is barely warm to the touch; and except for the charred plant remains, life goes on after the burn.
Fire benefits native plant growth by burning off dead accumulated plant material. Accumulation of this "litter" can lower the soil temperature and retard seed germination and plant growth. The material also tends to absorb rainfall, preventing it from reaching plant roots. By reintroducing fire into the landscape, we are able to restore some of the functional qualities of a true natural ecosystem.
Our plants and animals have lived harmoniously with fire over the centuries. Today, many native wildflowers are decreasing and non-native, invasive plants flourish as the county has become more populated. With the help of prescription fire as well as other natural resource management techniques, many native plant species are beginning to make a comeback.
Locations of Prescription Fires
The prescription fire program is implemented at different sites each year. The map below indicates (in red) the areas that may benefit from prescription fire in 2007 and 2008:
Permits are obtained from the Environmental Protection Agency and local fire departments for prescription fires.
Safety First
Any fire can be dangerous if not kept under control. Prior to a prescription fire, variables affecting fires are studied carefully. Wind conditions, humidity, temperature and the amount of moisture in plant material are all monitored by District ecologists and fire control crews who are trained to meet National Wildfire Coordinating and Group standards.
All fires are conducted with permits from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and local fire departments. The DuPage County Health Department, local police, DuPage County Sheriff, local and adjacent fire departments are all in close communication during the burning process. In addition, letters are sent to residents adjacent to designated burn sites. Replies to these letters assist the District in addressing health or other special concerns.
To Learn More
Visitors can get a closer look at the effects of fire on the natural environment by joining one of the District's naturalist-guided tours of a controlled burn in the spring or fall. A District representative can also visit groups and homeowner associations to further explain the reasons and benefits of the District's burn program. Watch for announcements of these fascinating programs in your local newspaper or in the District's quarterly publication, The DuPage Conservationist. If you have any questions or would like to schedule a speaker about controlled burns, please email or contact the Public Affairs Office at (630) 871-6406.
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 5000, Wheaton, IL 60189-5000
email: forest@dupageforest.com (630) 933-7200 Fax: (630) 933-7204 TTY: (800) 526-0857