News Release
Subscribe
 |
What is RSS
|
The National Park Service is planning to conduct five prescribed fires this fall totaling more than 1,400 acres. One burn is a carryover from the spring that could not be completed due to unfavorable weather conditions.
The largest fire planned for this fall is the 550-acre Tolleston East Prescribed Fire. Located immediately south and east of Ogden Dunes, the burn area is surrounded by US 12 on the north, County Line Road on the west and Stagecoach Road on the south and east sides.
On the west side of County Line Road, and north of US 12, the park plans to burn 374 acres of land in the Grand Boulevard/Marquette Trail Prescribed Fire.
In the middle of the park, near Dune Acres and Porter Beach, 417 acres will be burned in the Howes Prairie Prescribed Fire Unit. This fire was attempted on the fall of 2022 but was not able to be completed due to unfavorable weather conditions. This burn unit contains the first ever acreage burned in a prescribed fire at Indiana Dunes in 1986.
Near the Green Belt Parking Lot on North Mineral Springs Road, just south of Dune Acres, 25 acres will be burned as part of the restoration of the Cowles Bog wetland complex.
77-acres of land surrounding and including the Dunewood Campground will be burned in order to reduce the threat of wildfire for campers next season. Burning the year’s fallen leaves and any branches on the ground reduces the fuels available should a fire escape a fire ring during the spring and summer camping season next year.
Clear management goals and objectives have been established for each burn unit. Before burning, a designated set of conditions must exist including ideal wind speed and direction, and relative humidity. Weather conditions will be monitored throughout the duration of the burn to ensure the fire is completed safely. Fire is used as a tool for the park's long-term habitat restoration and hazard fuel reduction efforts.
An online map of the planned prescribed fire areas can be found at https://bit.ly/IndianaDunesFallFires
Residents of Lake and Porter Counties may sign up to receive prescribed fire notifications through the Smart911 system. Go to www.smart911.com to sign up for this free service that provides emergency notifications, a private 911 safety profile and a vulnerable needs registry. Additionally, this National Park announces prescribed fire activity on its Facebook page, www.facebook.com/IndianaDunesNPS.
Indiana Dunes National Park is one of more than 400 units of the National Park System ranging from Yellowstone to the Statue of Liberty. Located in Northwest Indiana, the park includes 15 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and 15,000 acres of biodiverse beaches, woods, prairies, and marshes.
Last updated: October 19, 2023