Prescribed Burning in the Grasslands
(Figure 1). Two wildland firefighters move methodically through the Sheyenne National Grassland carrying packs and drip torches, surrounded by a thick, white-gray haze of low-intensity smoke from a controlled broadcast burn.
Prescribed burning on the Dakota Prairie Grasslands (DPG) is a strategic, science-backed management tool utilized to reduce hazardous fuels, curb woody encroachment, and restore native, fire-dependent ecosystems. Conducted by the DPG’s fire management staff, these burns improve biodiversity and protect public infrastructure.
Key Aspects of Prescribed Burning
Objectives: The primary goals include reducing overgrown vegetation, improving forage for wildlife and livestock, and suppressing invasive species.
Timing and Techniques: Burns typically occur between late fall and early spring. The program involves both broadcast burning and pile burns. Broadcast burning (Figure 1) involves intentionally applying low-intensity fire across a predetermined landscape, such as the grassland floor, to consume understory debris, reduce fuel hazards, and restore ecosystem health. Pile burning (Figure 2) involves igniting piles of vegetation cleared during mechanical treatments.
(Figure 2). Pile burning reduces hazardous fuels accumulated from vegetation management.
Strategy: The prescribed burning program focuses on treating the right places at the right time by prioritizing areas with high fuel buildup, important ecological needs, or nearby values at risk. Fire is applied in a patchy pattern to create a mix of grassland conditions that benefit wildlife and improve overall prairie health. Burns are coordinated with grazing and other management activities, and future burns are adjusted based on what monitoring shows works best.
Safety and Planning: All burns are managed by certified DPG fire management professionals (Figure 3) under strict prescriptions that dictate acceptable weather conditions (wind, humidity) to ensure safety and control.
(Figure 3). Andrew Hartman, Forestry Aid, uses a handheld electronic weather meter to measure wind speed and direction.
Ecological Impact: Prescribed burning improves the health and resilience of the grasslands by renewing native plant communities, recycling nutrients, and reducing accumulated litter. Fire helps control invasive species and woody plant encroachment while promoting a diverse mix of grasses and forbs that support pollinators, birds, and other wildlife. Over time, these effects maintain natural prairie processes, enhance habitat diversity, and strengthen the long-term ecological function of the grassland ecosystem.
Seasonal Burning: Operations often include avoiding critical wildlife nesting or breeding periods when possible and minimizing impacts on other sensitive species. Seasonal variability also allows us to meet differing vegetative and habitat goals.
Collaboration: The DPG often works with local stakeholders, including ranchers and conservation groups, to balance fuel reduction with agricultural and environmental needs.
Integrated Management: Fire is often combined with other techniques, such as targeted livestock grazing, mowing, herbicides, and haying, to manage brush and fine fuels and promote biodiversity.
Prescribed Burn Photo Gallery
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