Prescribed burn provides educational opportunities and prepares crews for fire season

Fire crews at Grand Canyon National Park conducted a prescribed burn and provided educational opportunities for park visitors as part of an annual readiness review designed to assist crews to prepare for and operate during wildfire season.

Preparing Fire Crews for Wildfire Season

Prescribed fires play an important role in decreasing risks to life, resources, and property.

NPS

On May 19, 2016, completed the 40-ac Village Prescribed Burn. The burn unit was located east of the Grand Canyon Village historic district and south of South Entrance Road. Vegetation consisted primarily of ponderosa pine.  

This prescribed fire was part of the annual readiness review for Grand Canyon wildland fire crews. The review is designed to assist crews to prepare for and operate during wildfire season.

Educational Opportunity for Visitors to Learn About Wildland Fire

Grand Canyon Chief of Fire and Aviation Jay Lusher met groups of 4th grade students during today's prescribed fire. Students learned about the importance of fire in a fire-adapted ecosystem.

NPS

Interested visitors had the opportunity to meet fire personnel, learn about fire’s role in the ecosystem, and walk a short distance with fire managers to safely view the fire.

Park staff made over 500 visitor contacts and conducted several media interviews during the day.

Learn More About Fire Management at Grand Canyon

Fire has been a part of the Colorado Plateau ecosystem at Grand Canyon National Park for thousands of years. Its presence is important for wildlife habitat, nutrient recycling, plant diversity, and overall landscape health.

NPS

Prescribed fires play an important role in decreasing risks to life, resources, and property. Prescribed fires in the park's fire-adapted ecosystem are also important for wildlife habitat, nutrient recycling, plant diversity, and overall landscape health. 

Fire managers carefully plan prescribed fires, initiating them only under environmental conditions that are favorable to assuring firefighter and visitor safety and to achieving the desired objectives.

Visit https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/management/firemanagement.htm to learn more about fire ecology and fire management at Grand Canyon National Park.

You can also explore the Grand Canyon Fire and Aviation Program Story Map at https://go.nps.gov/gobecq. The interactive map includes information and photos about the park's fire program, and includes a fire information map that is used when fires are actively burning in the park.