A large fire burning in a grassy parkland is a concerning sight, especially with so many deadly wildfires across California, Canada and the western U.S. However, contained, intentional blazes called prescribed, meaning controlled, fires are actually good for the land.
"In the short term, it is destructive," says Shelby Ashcraft, assistant park manager for the North Zone at MetroParks of Butler County. "It basically resets the habitat to reinvigorate the plants. If you start at a soil level, all those nutrients from the dead plants that get burned goes back into the soil, [and] the soil is improved."
Better soil and reinvigorated plants mean more and better-quality seeds to grow a fresh habitat for animals and insects, she adds.
MetroParks typically does prescribed burns in the late winter and early spring. They aren't frequent occurrences, and they aren't conducted at all parks. Ashcraft says each park where burns might be done has its own burn plan, and weather conditions must be just right in order to proceed.
"By law, we have to form burn plans, which have all of the specific information, which is why it's called prescribed. It's a prescription for the conditions that we have to wait for and also create to make sure that we can perform the burn safely," she says.
She says crew members prep all their gear and equipment, and review the safety procedures and burn plans during January.
"Then, from mid to late February up to the end date of April 16 or 17 — right around tax day — we're just ready to go at a moment's notice," she says. "We have permission, generally, to abandon meetings, and [do] whatever to make it happen."
Ashcraft — who has been doing prescribed burns for well over a decade and recently took on a larger leadership role in the process — says the crews closely monitor wind and weather conditions. They request what's called a "spot forecast" from the National Weather Service that is specific to the area and the times they'd like perform a burn. That way they have the most accurate and up-to-date information available.
Every step is exacting.
"You put the size of your crew in there, and if you don't have that number of people, you don't burn," she states. "If the weather's not right, you don't burn. If you don't have operational equipment, you don't burn."
The crew closely monitors both the fire, which is methodically set, and the winds. There is a truck with water on standby should any sparks get away from the main blaze and need to be handled. Ashcraft says the local fire district always knows when prescribed burns are underway and is ready to act should something go wrong.
It's a good time of year to do burns because the woody bits they want to get rid of are nice and dry, and much of the insect and wildlife is still dormant for the winter.
"It's the the least amount of damage we can do with the maximum benefit during this time of year," says Ashcraft.
On this day, all is going smoothly after about an hour of burning. The burn encompasses about seven acres. The crew is using a ring fire method, Ashcraft explains.
"You start on the edge of the field. When the fire is lit, it will be burning against the wind. That means that it goes really slowly, it burns really low and complete. [Then the crew] will work their way around the edges, just burning slowly against the wind. That also increases your safety because it makes your fire break even bigger, and a bigger fire break is always a better fire break," she says.
After the ignition and burn period, the crew will continue to monitor the fire and smoke. Then they'll survey the results and evaluate the success level. Ashcraft's initial reaction is positive.
"This looks like a successful burn," she concludes. "The primary mark of a successful burn is safety, and everyone is upright, and everyone is feeling good, and the fire did not go where we didn't want it to go. Everything was managed very cleanly."
She says it shouldn't take long to see the effects.
"After something burns, the ground is black, so it stays warmer than anything else around it for the rest of the winter and early spring, so it greens up sooner," she says. "I can't tell you exactly when this one's going to happen, but, oh man, I'd say within a matter of weeks."
The Nature Conservancy is also conducting a series of prescribed burns at properties it owns and manages with the Cincinnati Museum Center, the in Adams County. Trails at the E. Lucy Braun Lynx Prairie are closed through March 14 for a prescribed burn.
"Indigenous Peoples used fire for thousands of years as a part of their land management strategies across Ohio. These intentional fires played a crucial role in maintaining the health and diversity of ecosystems across the continent, helping to clear out underbrush, create open habitats that supported plants and wildlife and promote ecological resiliency," the organization writes.
The Nature Conservancy's website offers .
In a statement to WVXU, Bill Stanley, state director for The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Ohio, says, "In Ohio, TNC is using prescribed fire at our E. Lucy Braun Lynx Prairie at the Edge of Appalachia Preserve to control invasive plants, rejuvenate the landscape and enhance biodiversity. Fire occurs naturally, and has been a tool used by native Americans to maintain habitats for millennia. Many rare species need fire to thrive, making it a natural and necessary part of Ohio’s ecosystems. When we use fire wisely, we make these landscapes healthier and more resilient."
