‘Prescribed Fires’ Planned For Dunes National Lakeshore
The National Park Service has announced plans for five prescribed fires at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. About 950 acres will be burned later this fall as part of the park’s long-term restoration and hazard fuel reduction efforts.
The fires will take place in Gary, Porter, Beverly Shores and Hobart. Specific dates for each prescribed fire were not released.
The park service says the fires will be conducted by NPS fire personnel and will only take place if certain conditions are met. Before burning begins, officials will check the air temperature, wind speed and direction and relative humidity. As the fires are taking place, fire personnel will monitor weather conditions to make sure they are completed safely.
Two prescribed fires will occur in Gary. The first will see the burning of 178 acres of Oak-Savannah, which will be part of an effort to restore the Miller Woods, located near the Douglas Center for Environmental Education. Another 62 acres will be burned west of County Line Road and south of U.S. 12.
The 191-acre Mnoke Prairie in Porter will be burned as part of a long-term restoration effort. The NPS says 77 acres of the Dunewood Campground near Beverly Shores will be burned to reduce woody debris and leaf litter around campsites. An additional 178 acres of the Hobart Prairie Grove will be burned on the west side of Lake George.
The National Park Service says the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore will post prescribed burn announcements on its Facebook page. Porter County residents can also sign up for the county’s "Alert Porter County" system to receive updates by clicking here.