News Release

Fire Activity Update and Prescribed Burn Today at National Park

Also see attached photo. Caption for photo: A US Forest Service wildland fire engine assists NPS and Burns Harbor Fire firefighters late Friday afternoon on a wildland fire in the Port of Indiana.

NPS Photo/Ramirez.

News Release Date: April 5, 2021

INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL PARK:  On Friday April 2nd Indiana Dunes National Park successfully conducted the Tolleston East Prescribed Fire. After monitoring the fire area for several days, and working to make the area safe for visitors, the Tolleston Dunes Trail has been re-opened.   

The Miller 3 wildfire that also occurred on Friday April 2nd is currently at 425 acres with no additional growth over the last two days. The fire is expected to be declared “controlled” today meaning it is fully contained and has no opportunity for growth in size.  Trails in the Miller Woods area, including the Paul Douglas Trail to Lake Michigan, should be open in the next several days. The Miller 3 wildfire caused no damage to private property and was kept away from the Lakeshore Dunes Apartments and other residences on North Lake Street thanks to the Miller 1 Prescribed Fire which was conducted on March 22nd.   

With the increase in relative humidity and cloud cover today, the National Park Service plans to burn approximately 239 acres of the Mnoke Prairie in Porter Indiana on the west end of Beam Street and around the Dunes Learning Center. For the last 20 years fire has been used as a primary tool and the restoration of this rare tallgrass prairie in Northwest Indiana. This prescribed fire will begin around noon today. Smoke should be visible for several hours along portions of US Highways 12 and 20 and Interstate 94.  

Over the last four days of fire activity in and around Indiana Dunes National Park, none of it would have been successful without our cooperators from the US Forest Service. Assisting in the wildfires and prescribed fires have been resources from the Hiawatha National Forest in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie in northeast Illinois and a fire engine from the Umatilla National Forest in Oregon that was staged at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. Additionally, one of the key fire management supervisory positions at Indiana Dunes is currently filled by a USFS employee on a 120-day temporary assignment from the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri.  

For more information contact Fire Information Officer, Micah Bell at e-mail us, 219-405-0125 (cell). 

www.nps.gov/indu  

Indiana Dunes National Park is part of the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 423 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.