Fire is a great tool to help reduce fuel loads, control woody trees and brush, increase forage value, and maintain grassland health. Prescribed burns are fires intentionally set under specific conditions. They are based on a burn plan and coordinated with a team.
Throughout history, fire has been a natural occurrence in the Great Plains, and many prairie plants benefit from it. While frequent fires, set by lightning strikes or native Americans, shaped the prairie ecosystem over thousands of years, we now know how they continue to play a pivotal role in grassland health. Today, prescribed fire is a cost-effective management tool to maintain grasslands and keep them clear of woody encroachment.
Once the woody invasion is under control, maintenance burns can be conducted. Completing a prescribed burn regularly will help alleviate any small saplings from becoming established. The burn interval will vary depending on location, history of fire use, level of woody encroachment, and fuel load. Many land managers find success conducting maintenance burns once every three to four years in areas with higher rainfall and once every five to ten years in areas with lower rainfall.
Benefits to Burning
Using prescribed fire can provide many benefits – for your operation and for wildlife. While there are many practices that can be used to manage grasslands, research has shown there is no substitute for fire. According to the Nobel Research Institute, the following are some benefits of burning.
- Many plants in the prairie ecosystem are fire-dependent and benefit from fire.
- Regular burning decreases woody encroachment into grassland and helps maintain understory growth.
- Plant diversity increases after a fire, benefiting grassland health and wildlife.
- Forage production also increases, benefiting ruminant livestock.
- Plant palatability and nutritional content for ruminant livestock and wildlife is increased post-fire.
- Prescribed fires decrease wildfire risk by removing fuel loads.
To learn more about the benefits of fire and other research related to prescribed burning, visit the Great Plains Fire Exchange website.
Prescribed Burn Associations
Many resources are available to landowners who want to use prescribed fire to manage woody encroachment on their land. In many areas throughout Kansas and Oklahoma, there are Prescribed Burn Associations (PBA), which are local groups of producers who work together to assist each other in successful burns. PBAs allow for the sharing of knowledge amongst their members and assistance in conducting a burn. This can be one of the best ways to learn about this management practice and how to integrate it into your own operation. Find a local chapter near you through the Kansas PBA or the Oklahoma PBA.
Legal Responsibility
While prescribed fire is an effective tool for land management, there are risks associated with any fire. Proper planning, documentation, and communication are critical to carrying out a safe and lawful burn. It’s the landowners’ and managers’ responsibility to know their local and state laws, and to plan and conduct a burn within those parameters.
Safety Considerations
Conducting a safe prescribed burn requires planning, communication, and preparedness, as you’ll see in the video below. Additional videos about burn plans, safety tips, burn equipment, burn techniques, and other topics are available from Kansas Grazing Lands Coalition.
If you are considering using prescribed fire, hands-on learning opportunities are hosted annually by the following partners.
- Great Plains Fire Exchange
- Kansas Prescribed Burn Association
- Oklahoma Prescribed Burn Association
- Kansas Fire Council
- Kansas Smoke Management
- Kansas Forestry Service