Residents living near La Crosse driving up Bliss Road to visit Grandad Bluff or travel beyond may have noticed that one of the prairies across the valley was recently burned.
A few might have been fortunate enough to witness the spectacle itself on Friday, January 31, as the first flames crept slowly downhill from the top into the thick prairie grasses before racing uphill from below in a grand finale as the lower edge was ignited.
More important than the photos showing the grand finale are ones showing the careful deliberation of the team from start to finish under the direction of the burn boss and line bosses methodically carrying out the proper sequence of actions to proceed in a safe fashion:
All of this might lead some to wonder why these burns are conducted, how they are safely executed, and who is responsible for carrying them out.
Prairies are "fire-dependent" ecosystems, meaning they need fire to flourish. Fire removes smothering thatch, especially from grasses, creating space for other flowering plants that require open soil. It helps keep woody plants like trees and brush from taking over, removes nitrogen from the soil (a good thing on the prairie making weeds and other plants less likely to invade) while adding other important minerals back. And some seeds need fire to germinate.
Friends of the Blufflands has led the effort to restore many of the nearby bluff prairies, but without fire, that work will quickly become compromised.
Burns like the one conducted on Zoerb Prairie are known as "prescribed burns." When medicines are prescribed to patients, several factors are considered, including age, weight, kidney function, allergies, and concurrent medications. Similarly, executing a prescribed burn involves considering numerous factors beforehand, all of which are put into a detailed burn plan. First, a "burn unit" is determined and established by creating fire breaks around the perimeter. On burn day, various factors must be evaluated, such as wind speed and direction, relative humidity, terrain, type of fuel, smoke dispersal, and nearby roads and structures. The burn is carried out only when all these factors are favorable and fall within "prescription".
The team executing a burn operates with a somewhat military-like structure. At the helm is the "burn boss," responsible for drafting the burn plan, securing the necessary permits, informing the local fire chief, and assigning tasks. In most cases, two line crews are established, each led by a line boss, with members carrying fire suppression equipment like "backcans" (water packs with spray hoses), rakes, or flappers. The burn boss selects a "point of ignition" usually on the downwind and uphill edge of the unit where the fire is initiated, allowing it to gradually move downhill or against the wind. Once a sufficiently large area has been "back-burned," the fire is ignited along the unit's sides and eventually opposite from the point of ignition, a process known as "ringing the fire,". This is when the real show often begins where the pace of fire, being pushed forward both by the slope and wind, accelerates into an impressive spectacle.
Who conducts these burns? We are fortunate that the Coulee Region Chapter of The Prairie Enthusiasts performs these burns in Hixon and other areas of our region at no cost. They have a burn policy that is followed to ensure safety, the necessary insurance, and the expertise required. A huge thanks goes out to the burn boss for Zoerb, Jim Rogala, as well as the two crew leaders, Justin Nooker and Pat Caffrey.
The year following a burn, it is incredibly rewarding to witness the prairie come to life, abundant with flowers which produce seeds that are poised to spread into the open soil exposed from thatch removed by fire, into the buffers for growth, or onto other nearby prairies undergoing restoration. We need these fires to keep our prairies healthy! They are very labor intensive but exceptionally beneficial. Expect to see more of these burns in the bluffs near La Crosse this year and in the years to come but for this to happen, and to keep these vital burns going, we need to support the organization leading them- The Prairie Enthusiasts.
Please consider doing so by becoming a member or making a donation by visiting https://www.theprairieenthusiasts.org
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