Prescribed Burns

Press Release

Des Moines Park and Recreation Department will conduct several controlled burns over the next few months (November through April). Click on the blue highlighted areas for a map of the specific burn areas within that parkland 2007/2008.

Prescribed burning is a controlled application of fire used as a natural management tool in the parks.  Weather conditions such as precipitation and wind direction will determine at which day the burns will take place.  The media will be informed when the controlled burns are specifically scheduled.  Parks and Recreation staff asks the pubic to stay away from the parks during the burns.  Staff would also like to assure the public that there is no reason to be alarmed when they see or smell smoke in the park burn area.

Why do a Prescribed Burn?

In nature, fire is essential to maintain the integrity of the native prairie and woodland plant species located in our parks.  Fire is a natural occurrence that helps the plant and animal communities in a park and controlled burning offers a safer way to use fire in a helpful manner.  The benefits of prescribed burns include:

  • Aid in reducing the undesirable plants from invading our prairie and woodlands
  • Help maintain a rich diversity of wildflowers and grasses
  • Encourage oak and other native trees to naturally regenerate in our woodlands
  • Decrease threat of wildfire by decreasing the accumulation of combustibles
  • Benefit water quality by aiding in the establishment of deep-rooted natives
  • Improve the natural beauty and enjoyment of our parks

Who Conducts the Burn?

Experienced park staff conducts the Prescribed Burns. The Parks Burn Crew has been certified in accordance with a nationally standardized testing program for professionals participating in wild-land burns.  Park staff members have studied fire behavior and fire control techniques to ensure the safety of the burn crew, residents and private property.

More Information

Dates and locations of specific prescribed burns are dependent on weather conditions. Parks staff often do not know until the day prior that burning will occur the next day. Determining factors include precipitation, humidity, dryness of the area to be burned and predicted wind direction and velocity.

In general, the air quality permit issued for prescribed burns requires the Park and Recreation Department to conduct burns on days that allow conditions which are optimum for smoke dispersal and in a direction away from the area of highest concentrations of people. Burn maps posted on this web site indicate which wind direction is need for burning in any particular area. The Parks and Recreation and Police Departments work together to initiate a phone message notifying all residents within 1000 feet the day prior to a scheduled burn in their neighboring park. Residents with specific questions or who would like to request that they specifically be contacted the day before or the morning of a burn in their area should contact Teva Dawson, Horticulture Inspector, at (515) 208-0308.


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City of Des Moines, Iowa
Parks and Recreation