When you hear about controlled burns across the KVOE listening area, the typical thought is they will take place in the winter and early spring months. There will be some fall burning at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve.
Over the coming weeks, preserve managers will handle an unspecified number of prescribed burns, in part to study the effects of fall fire on non-native plants, woody plants and invasive species.
Heather Brown, the preserve’s supervisory park ranger of interpretation and visitor services, says there typically isn’t much advance warning before prescribed burns, largely due to changing weather conditions. Burns may close certain trails or areas on short notice, so visitors hiking and fishing at the preserve may have their plans interrupted due to the planned burns. If burning is underway, visitors are asked to not go beyond any barricades or signs and they are asked not to cross any fire lines.
More information is available through nps.gov/tapr or the preserve’s Facebook page.