Pile burning to protect NPS structures at Indiana Dunes NP

Piles of cut trees slowly burn down on an April day in order to reduce the amount of hazardous fuels around a park dormitory.

NPS/M. Bell

In April 2023, firefighters from the Great Lakes Fire Management Zone, based at Indiana Dunes National Park, burned multiple debris piles around several park structures to protect the buildings from the potential of wildland fires.

Set in among the trees in one of the more untouched portions of the park, the Furnessville Road Dorm has been used for many years to house park staff and volunteers. Trees were cut and piled here to create defensible space around the occupied dorm.

Near the park’s busy Headquarters Complex, crews burned piles adjacent to the Wahl Farmhouse, home to the Field Station Preschool, a non-profit park partner. Much of this fuel removal and pile construction work had been previously completed by volunteers at the preschool.

Fire staff used the fuels reduction projects as an opportunity to conduct chainsaw refresher training with new fire staff. They were also to introduce new staff to the park’s Standard Operating Procedures for equipment use and provide training on firing devices in a controlled environment.

Hazard fuels reduction work, including pile burning, chipping of trees and limbs, and mastication of ground cover, is an important part of the overall Fire Management Plan for Indiana Dunes National Park.