Starting Feb. 1, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will begin conducting prescribed burns in the state.
The first controlled fire of the season will happen at Horicon Marsh Wildlife Area. The prescribed fire will burn off excess dead plant material and make way for new growth. These kinds of fires mimic the natural benefits fires can provide like: decrease in dead grass, improved spaces for wildlife to feed, nest, and raise young, and prevent future potentially devastating wildfires.
The DNR will go to various areas during the winter to administer these burns. By burning in winter, the DNR can take advantage of wet conditions and a frozen ground which reduces the intensity of these fires. Prescribed burns happen in winter, early spring, late summer, and fall.
