Somme Prairie Grove: Photo Story

Click through the links below, for photos from the April 5, 2008 controlled burn.

photograph by Marianne Kozlowski

1. Getting ready.	2. Starting the fire.	3. The fire flares up quickly where it's running with the wind in heavy fuel..
4. Notice the few-inch-tall flames as the backfire creeps slowly through the heavy but dampish fuel toward the camera—compared to the eight-foot-tall flames as the headfire burns vigorously with the wind, going away from the camera. The burn crew uses such differences between backfires and headfires to keep the burn safely within planned firebreaks.	5. In the shaded savanna areas, there's much less fuel and shorter flames. These flames will not harm the oak trunks, but will invigorate the ecosystem.	6. Burnout
7. Fires starting to spread in two directions from the line of fire made by the drip torch.	8. Same scene about two minutes later.	9. Same scene about four minutes later.
10. Same scene about six minutes later.	11. About ten minutes later.	12. The fire continues in another area.
13. Spreading the fire.	14. Fire subsides to low flames as it leaves the tall grass and enters the oak savanna.	15. Afer the fire.

Overall, this burn was good, but not outstanding, as the wet areas didn't burn at all and the wooded areas burned only marginally. But all the grassy areas of the north half of the preserve had a fine burn and will be especially rich with savanna wildflowers, grasses, butterflies and other rich life this growing season. Tens of thousands of baby buckthorns and other invasives died a natural death.

Thanks to all who helped: Bill Koenig and Joni Marin from the Forest Preserve District and volunteers Marianne Koslowski, Miguel Vallejo, Rett Donnelley, Jeff Weisz, John McMartin, Stephen Packard, and Linda Masters.