It's controlled burn season in Lake Co.

Controlled burn season is beginning in the Lake County forest preserves.

Specially trained and equipped forest preserve staff and volunteers carefully conduct the controlled burns, selecting sites based on wind and other weather conditions.

Every spring and fall for the past 23 years, the Lake County Forest Preserve District has conducted controlled burns to restore and improve natural plant and animal communities, officials said in a news release.

Native woodlands, savannas, prairies and wetlands are fire-dependent communities that require regular burns to maintain their ecological value.

Over the next few months, crews of trained professionals will be burning high-quality habitats or restoration areas in forest preserves throughout Lake County. Wind and other weather conditions are monitored daily to help determine which preserves are selected.

Visit www.lcfpd.org/nature to find which preserve is scheduled and to learn more about the entire land management program.

Controlled burns replace historical fires that naturally occurred in Lake County for thousands of years. They decrease invasive woody plants, remove dead leaves, and expose the soil and seeds to the sun's rays. This encourages native plants to grow more vigorously and to produce more flowers and seed, increasing their populations.

Wildlife populations are adapted to survive the burns. Most animals are safe underground or high up in trees, while others move out of the way to avoid fires. Controlled burns are scheduled to avoid the breeding season of native wildlife.

Natural areas being managed by controlled burns are showing improvement. In woodlands, which are generally targeted in the fall, invasive brush is reduced and native plants are rebounding.

Controlled burns are the most cost-efficient management tool available to land managers. Forest preserve staff and volunteers complete intensive training before conducting controlled burns to ensure proper safety measures are taken to protect people, facilities, plants and animals in the preserves and on surrounding properties.

Local fire and police departments are notified before and after each controlled burn. Forest preserve staff closely monitor each burn with appropriate safety equipment and, if necessary, stays overnight on-site.

Forest preserve staff continue to provide specialized wildfire training to area fire departments to improve their skills when responding to fires that may happen in natural areas under their jurisdiction.