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Contact: Curtis Gregory, 417-325-4151
Prescribed Fire Planned at George Washington Carver National Monument
DIAMOND, Mo. – George Washington Carver National Monument is preparing to conduct a prescribed fire to take place between December 5, 2025 and December 20, 2025, weather permitting.
The National Park Service is scheduled to treat approximately 100 acres under the direction of trained fire personnel. The goal of the prescribed fire is to reduce wildfire risk by removing hazardous fuels, limit woody vegetation and support the health of the park’s tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The operation is expected to take one day.
Most of the park will remain open to visitors during the prescribed fire. However, temporary closure of the Carver Trail will be necessary to ensure public safety.
Tallgrass prairie once covered more than 140 million acres across the United States, but most of it was converted for agricultural use. Prairie ecosystems depend on natural processes, including grazing and fire, to maintain ecological balance. For roughly 5,000 years, frequent fire played a critical role in sustaining these grasslands. Today, prescribed fire continues that essential role, helping protect and restore remaining prairie ecosystems.
George Washington Carver National Monument contains areas of restored tallgrass prairie that benefit from these management practices.
Administered by the National Park Service, an agency of the Department of the Interior, George Washington Carver National Monument preserves the birthplace and childhood home of George Washington Carver - scientist, educator, and humanitarian. The park is located two miles west of Diamond, Missouri, on Highway V, then ¼ mile south on Carver Road. For more information, please call the park at 417-325-4151 between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. or visit the park website at www.nps.gov/gwca.
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About the National Park Service: More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for more than 430 of America's national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.
Last updated: November 25, 2025