Prescribed burn conducted to protect rare plant species

  • Published
  • U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --  A closely coordinated prescribed burn at the Air Force Academy took place April 30 to protect an endangered species known as Plains Ironweed.

"A prescribed burn is a controlled burn designed to meet a specific objective," said Diane Strohm, a natural resource manager at the Academy. "In this case, the objective was to enhance a rare plant population, one of only three known populations of this plant in the state."

The burn cleared up to one acre of Smooth Brome, a grass competing with the Ironweed, growing just northwest of the Academy on Academy Drive, near the 10th Civil Engineer Fire Department's Station 2.

The burn was coordinated between the Academy's 10th CES and and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

It lasted a few hours and like all controlled burns at the Academy, firefighters were on scene to protect the surrounding areas and a provide safe route for drivers.