Why national park near Beatrice set part of its prairie on fire

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Homestead National Historical Park near Beatrice intentionally burned part of its prairie Tuesday to protect it from invasive weeds. 

A group of nearly 20 National Park Service personnel and volunteers with the Fairbury Fire Department oversaw the burn of 5.7 acres of tallgrass prairie. 

The park is home to the second-oldest tallgrass prairie restoration.

The goal is to keep the park historically accurate, with only the plants that would have been on the prairie before settlement.

That’s an effort that requires controlled burns. 

“It’s going to reduce some of these nonnative plants, the cedars and some of the other things that would not have been here historically,” said Mike Johnson, fire information officer with the National Park Service’s Midwest region.

The park does controlled burns every year in different areas.

Johnson said it also prevents wildfires from happening.

“It’s an opportunity for some hazard fuel reduction,” Johnson said. “In an event of a wildfire, some of this fuel will be burned off, and it will be easier to catch a fire in the future.” 

Before starting any burns, the personnel monitor the weather and wind conditions.

The park will do another prescribed fire this fall if weather conditions allow.