Southern Plains Fire Group Prescribed burns are a management tool used by the Southern Plains Fire Group to effectively manage the natural, cultural, and historical resources of the park with fire. The park carries out prescribed burns under very specific conditions that ensure the safety of firefighters, the public, historical resources, and private and public property. Burns are planned 5 years in advance and are dependent on fuel loading and objectives. There are four goals that the Southern Plains Fire Group use prescribed burns to accomplish. The first goal is to reduce risk to life, property, natural resources, and cultural resources. The second goal is to restore and maintain various park ecosystems in a natural and thriving condition. The third is to reduce the amount of fuel in the park to better protect the park’s natural, cultural, and social values. The fourth goal is to reduce the amount of fuel at Lake Meredith and Alibates. A main objective of fire in the park is to manage the growth and spread of honey mesquite. According to written historical accounts from the 1600s-1800s, most of the region had few trees and was an open grassland. This was most likely a natural creation from the lack of rainfall, wind, natural fires, lack of waterways that was heavily influenced and created by Native Americans for hunting purposes. It was not until the arrival of cattle in the late 1800s that honey mesquite became thicker in the region. It is probable that honey mesquite did not spread far beyond its natural range but became much more prevalent in the Canadian River Valley. Cattle allowed mesquite to spread and grow as they could digest only a small portion of the mesquite beans they ate. This allowed the tree to increase its range and density. Droughts are common in the region and honey mesquite produce more beans during droughts. Although fire is a useful tool in managing honey mesquite it requires planning. According to the USDA and USFS Wildland Fire in Ecosystems: Effects of Fire on Flora report published in 2000, honey mesquite is most vulnerable to fire when it is 1.5 years old or younger. A 500o F fire will easily kill the tree. However, once the tree is older than 3.5 years it is resistant to most fires. Because honey mesquite is fire resistant, the focus is on top-killing the mesquite tree with slow, repetitive, long burning fires that force the tree to use more energy to regrow. Although honey mesquite is native to the region, the park uses fire to reduce the amount of mesquite in the park boundaries. By reducing the number of mesquites, the fire crew can help return the park to a native prairie structure and increase the growth of native grasses and forbs (flowering plants). The other main objective of using fire is to reduce the amount of fuel in the park. By burning off grasses and shrubs the park can encourage growth of native grasses and flowers and reduce the risks of wildfires. The park will only carry out prescribed burns under specific conditions. If most of these conditions are not met, then the park will not carry out a burn. Fire staff monitor the temperature, relative humidity, wind direction, wind speed, and fuel moisture prior to and during a burn. Below are the conditions (prescription) needed for a prescribed burn at Lake Meredith to achieve desired fire behavior and meet burn objectives:
By meeting these conditions park staff can make sure that the fire will burn in a manageable and helpful manner. During the burn, park staff utilize pre-established fire breaks and natural fire breaks to ensure the fire will remain in the unit boundaries. A fire effects monitor is also on the prescribed burn tomonitor wind speed, wind direction and other conditions to make sure the fire is not likely to spread or grow out of control. Sources: Ford, Paulette L., and Guy R. McPherson “Ecology of fire in shortgrass communities of the Kiowa National Grassland.” In Fifteenth North American prairie conference proceedings, pp. 71-76. 1996. Ford, Paulette L.; McPherson, Guy R. Ecology of fire in shortgrass prairie of the southern Great Plains. In: Finch, Deborah M., Editor. Ecosystem disturbance and wildlife conservation in western grasslands- A symposium proceedings. September 22-26, 1994; Albuquerque, NM. General Technical Report RM-GTR-285. Fort Collins, CO: USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 1996. P. 20-39. 
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Last updated: February 15, 2024