A refuge firefighter ignites grasses as part of a prescribed burn. (Photo by RB Paul Hess)

Well trained firefighters and specialty equipment keep prescribed burns safe and successful. (Photo by RB Paul Hess)

New grass growth four weeks post-burn. (Photo by RB Paul Hess)

In April 2008, Iroquois NWR successfully burned 86 acres of grasslands as part of its annual prescribed fire program.  Two different grassland fields were burned as part of this program.  Along with the Knowlesville Marsh cattail burn from last fall, these two burns bring the refuge’s fiscal year burn acreage to 116 acres, more than 45 acres more than what was planned for FY08.

Most of the prescribed burns at Iroquois occur in grassland habitats.  Many of these areas have encroaching shrubs and forbs that are not highly desirable to wildlife.  Burning of these areas removes residual plant material and reduces the competition for the more desirable plant species.  Prescribed grassland fires are of lower intensity than wildfires and move across the fields at a slow to moderate pace.

The two fires this year burned extremely well, with nearly 100% complete consumption of burnable grasses, shrubs and forbs.  Firefighters were able to burn at a moderate pace allowing for safe control of the fire.  One of the burn units was immediately adjacent to State Route 63, a well traveled state highway passing through the refuge.  The burn adjacent to this road took nearly 6 hours and no smoke was seen on the highway during the entire burn.  Currently, little sign of the fires remains as the fields are already green from new grass growth.  These fires should result in better grassland habitat in these fields for the next four to five years when they will likely be burned again.

Due to a shortage of qualified firefighters on staff, Iroquois NWR received invaluable assistance during these fires from Mike Durfee, Blair Mace, Brett Gore, and Scott Wallis from the District Fire Office, Mike and Shanna Shaw, refuge volunteers, and Tracy Gingrich, AD Firefighter.