Today we understand that our ecosystems and the plants within them evolved with fire, and many species are dependent on fire to maintain the habitat in which they live.įor example, the key growing part of most prairie plants is below ground, where the heat of the fire does not penetrate, allowing the grasses and wildflowers to flourish once again following a fire event. In recent times, biologists have realized the benefits of fire in natural areas. The "Smoky the Bear" campaign reflects this perspective.Īs a result, it is natural to have questions about the Forest Preserve District of Will County's prescribed burning practices, and we hope to answer those questions here. Before Europeans settled in North America, fires regularly occurred naturally due to lightning strikes, but were also started accidentally and intentionally by man.ĭeliberately set fires were an important tool of Native Americans who used fires to hunt, improve visibility, protect themselves and their villages from wildfires, make traveling through the tallgrass prairie easier, and for many other reasons.Īs the continent was populated and developed, fire was widely suppressed because of its inherently destructive impact to many human interests and its potentially deadly affect on human life. Fire is as natural a force as wind, water, drought, floods, blizzards, and insect infestations.
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