MANSFIELD — Don’t be alarmed if you see the blackened, charred remains of a sweeping prairie on your next nature walk.
It was intentional.
The Richland County Park District recently conducted a prescribed burn at Gorman Nature Center. The intentional blaze cleared approximately eight acres of prairie.
The burn took place April 9 and lasted about five and a half hours, according to Executive Director Jordan Tackett.
Rachel Glover, a natural resource manager for the Richland County Park District, said controlled fire is a common tool in forestry and grassland management to prevent wildfires by removing kindling in a controlled setting.
“A prescribed fire is very different from a wildfire,” Glover said. “Prescribed burns are less destructive because they are highly controlled, slow-moving and lower intensity fires.”
“While it may seem counterintuitive, fire is a natural part of the prairie’s life cycle,” she added. “Think of it as a biological reset button.”
Controlled fires can benefit flora and fauna
According to park officials, fires promote new, more diverse plant growth. The ash formed by fire recycles nutrients in the ecosystem, supporting the germination and growth of new species.
Clearing the ground of dead and matted paint matter also opens up the soil to sunlight, which gives native species better conditions to germinate. It also boosts biodiversity.
“Without fire, even native grasses and forms can get too aggressive and crowd out delicate native prairie wildflowers,” Glover said. “Fire creates a level playing field, ensuring no single species dominates the landscape.”
While a variety of plant species will certainly enhance the appearance of the prairie, a diverse landscape is about much more than aesthetics.
The more distinct plant species a prairie has, the more varieties of wildlife it can support.
“Fire ensures that the entire ecosystem can thrive,” Glover said.
While some residents expressed concerns about local wildlife, a controlled blaze is generally safe for animals.
“A prescribed fire is lower intensity and we do it in a way to allow wildlife multiple exit routes,” she said.
Park district to conduct more frequent burns
The Richland County Park District spent months preparing for the burn, Tackett said. Park districts are required to have a plan in place and a permit from the Ohio Division of Forestry to ensure controlled fires are safely managed.
Park professionals must notify local emergency management agencies, fire departments and neighbors.
They determine the ideal weather conditions, taking into account humidity, temperature and wind direction.
“Burn barriers” are mowed down to eliminate kindling and prevent the fire from spreading to unwanted areas.
“You set the fire on the upwind side of the prairie and then the wind kind of carries it through,” Tackett explained. “Once it gets to the other side of the prairie, it will have burned all the fuel.”
On the day of the burn, park staff and firefighters were stationed at the edges of the burn zone with backpack sprayers.
Tackett said the burn was overdue, since the last time Gorman Nature Center had one was in 2019.
The park district is in the midst of developing land management plans for its parks, but Glover said future burns will likely take place every 18 months.
The prairie is already showing signs of recovery.
“Within hours of the smoke clearing, local birds returned to the site, foraging for insects revealed by the cleared vegetation,” Glover said.
“Within a few days, the first signs of green, specifically Big Bluestem and Rattlesnake Master, began poking through.”
