News Release

Prairie Prescribed Fire Planned at Fort Scott National Historic Site

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Firefighter igniting grass.

NPS Photo: Brenner

News Release Date: December 7, 2020
Contact: Carl Brenner, 620-223-0310

Park managers at Fort Scott National Historic Site, in coordination with Fire Managers with the US Fish and Wildlife Service from Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge, plan to burn the five acre restored prairie Thursday, December 10, 2020. The ignition will depend upon weather conditions and the burn may be postponed or canceled if conditions are unfavorable.

"We were very excited to be able to implement this prescribed fire (Rx) project with the assistance of our interagency neighbors. Our ability to treat the tallgrass prairie at a time of year enhances the resilience of the ecosystem and results in a more diverse prairie with more cool-season grasses." said Betty Boyko, Superintendent, Fort Scott National Historic Site. Like all prescribed fires, the plans for the tallgrass prairie Rx contain a set of parameters which define (among other things) the expected weather and fuel conditions under which the fire can be initiated. Prior to implementing the burn, fire managers will evaluate current conditions and will only ignite the fire if all of the prescribed conditions are within those parameters.

During typical prescribed fire activity, daytime smoke disperses to the northwest, up and over the highway. Coordination with the City of Fort Scott, Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office, Kansas State Highway Patrol, and Kansas Department of Transportation is already underway for this prescribed fire.  Smoke impacts or traffic delays on Highway 69 should not occur during the burn.

Tags: news, fire, rx burn, prairie

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