Via the Chicago Park District

A prescribed burn may take place at the Marovitz Gold Savanna in Lincoln Park between October 15 and November 30, 2009, depending on weather conditions. 

Facts About Prescribed Burns

Q: What happens to the plants and animals during the burn?

A: Fire does not harm native herbaceous plants because their root systems extend far into the ground - often more than twice the length of their foliage above ground.  Native grasses have buds that are located beneath the soil surface, where they are not harmed by the flames.  Some trees such as oaks and hickories grow a thick bark that protects them from fire.  Animals stay safe by retreating to burrows, flying away or simply moving to another area.  Burns are also scheduled to occur before spring bird nesting occurs.

Q: Does fire cause air pollution?

A: Prescribed burns temporarily produce some air pollutants; however, a healthy native ecosystem adapted to fire will remove more carbon dioxide and produce more oxygen in the years folowing the burn because the vegetation becomes fuller and more productive.  To put in perspective, fewer emissions are produced from a prescribed burn than are produced from frequently mowing a comparable area of turf grass.

Q: How will the area look after a burn?

A: Recently burned areas initially have blackened earth, but the sites green up very quickly in the spring.  The season following a controlled burn, the vegetation is lusher, the flowers more radiant, and seed production is more plentiful.

Q: Can members of the public and nature stewards be involved in the burns?