Herbert Hoover National Historic Site - Fire Regime

Herbert Hoover National Historic Site by National Parks Service

Historically, the tallgrass prairie experienced repeated natural fires with frequency of five to 10 years. Most wild fires occurred in late summer, before the fall rains when fuel was dry and grasses were going into dormancy. A second fire season occurred in late winter and early spring during dry years. These fires were frequent and of low severity, eliminating most of the young woody species that had established since the previous fire and rejuvenating perennial grasses and forbs. Aboriginal people may have purposely started fires to refurbish the grasslands for game species. These fires were set in late winter or early spring to promote early greening. Aboriginal people accidentally started wildfires, also. Human started fire and wildfire, maintained the prairie ecosystem in a climate that could favor woodlands. Local settlers began to suppress fires in the mid-1800s. Only occasional wildfire and prescribed fire occur today.

Herbert Hoover NHS uses prescribed fire as a management tool to reduce the amount of fuel on the prairie, suppress exotic and invasive plant populations, and return nutrients to the soil. The NHS burns less than one half of the prairie during any given year. Currently, the NHS uses fire annually, and will continue to do so until exotic plants are controled in some locations. After the exotic populations diminish, the NHS will resort to a three to five year fire rotation.

A website that helps educate park visitors on the role that fire plays in our national parks is available at www.eFire.org or by reading the latest issue of Fire Education .