Starting the week of April 1st, 2019, Hardin County’s IRVM department will be conducting prescribed burns throughout the county. The burns will be done as weather and site conditions permit, during the month of April, by the IRVM staff who are certified in wild land firefighting. Prescribed fires are conducted under a strict and predetermined set of parameters that include temperature, wind speed and direction, relative humidity, current and expected forecast and fuel conditions. Before burning, the roadside manager ensures that all the parameters are within their prescribed ranges, so the fire can be conducted safely, and the objectives can be met. The purpose of prescribed fire is to help eliminate brush from the roadsides, maintain and improve wildlife habitat and native plant communities that have been planted in the county right-of-way.
Fire is a natural ecological process in Iowa and is used to simulate the historic fires that burned naturally or were set intentionally by Native Americans to promote the valued resources and habitats that sustained indigenous cultures, and economies. In addition to using prescribed fire to restore all-natural process, fire is an important tool for stimulating native vegetation growth and seed production, improve wildlife habitat and provide valuable opportunities for training and scientific research, managing invasive species, and reducing wildfire dangers. Many of the plants and animals of Iowa’s prairies are fire adapted. They need periodic fires to thrive.
Hardin County’s Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management department protects and maintains over 6,000 acres of roadsides spread over 2,000 miles of county roads.
Questions? Contact Megan Di Cersare, Integrated Roadside Vegetation Biologist, at 641-849-0333 or by email.