News Release

Prescribed Fires Planned at Saratoga National Historical Park

Firefighters and Park Rangers tending a prescribed burn at Saratoga National Historical Park in 2024.

NPS Photo

News Release Date: March 26, 2025

Contact: David LaMere, 518-670-2960

STILLWATER, N.Y.-- Saratoga National Historical Park plans to conduct several prescribed fires in the coming weeks. This year, the National Park Service (NPS) will burn approximately 127 acres of grasses, shrubs and woodlands at the park, focusing on the fields between the Visitor Center and Stop 7 as well as south of Stop 2 adjacent to the Tour Road and the South Parking Area.  

Depending on favorable weather and site conditions, the first burns could take place early to mid-April. Because certain prescription parameters must be met, including wind speed, relative humidity, fuel moisture, and drought index, the NPS cannot precisely schedule prescribed fires in advance. While burns are underway, the park may temporarily close roads, visitor use facilities, parking areas and hiking trails. Park staff will post notification of burns and closures in the alerts section of the park’s website and on social media on the days they take place.

The NPS uses prescribed fire as a tool for natural resource management throughout the country. The prescribed fire program at Saratoga National Historical Park has three primary objectives: restoration and perpetuation of scenic and cultural landscapes, including native plant species; reduction of wildland fuel loading; and enhancement of wildlife habitat.

Firefighters from other national parks, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Albany Pine Bush Preserve may provide assistance.

For more information about Saratoga National Historical Park, please call the Visitor Center at [phone], visit www.nps.gov/sara, or find the park on Facebook or X (formerly Twitter) @SaratogaNHP.

About Saratoga National Historical Park: This unit of the National Park Service preserves, protects and interprets the sites associated with the battles, siege and surrender of the British forces at Saratoga. The park administers 3,579 acres over five sites: the Saratoga Battlefield, General Philip Schuyler’s House, Victory Woods, the Saratoga Monument and Sword Surrender Site.

About the National Park Service: More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for 430+ national park sites. We work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and to create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov and on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube.