Controlled burn planned for Buffalo Grove Prairie

A controlled burn will take place sometime between Nov. 15 and Dec. 5 at the Buffalo Grove Prairie, located directly north of Lake-Cook Road along ComEd’s transmission lines in Lake County.

The burn, part of a maintenance plan for the prairie, will be conducted by the Prairie Stewards in partnership with ComEd on a day with the right weather conditions. It will take one day, with the actual fire taking from four to six hours.

The fire is designed to eliminate any woody or nonnative vegetation from the prairie and improve its overall quality. Of the 10 acres at Buffalo Grove Prairie, only three to five acres will be burned.

Specific conditions control the timing of the prescribed burn, meaning notification will only be 24 to 48 hours in advance. A professional controlled burn contractor, Stantec, has been hired to conduct the burn and obtain all necessary state and local permits. The prairie contains numerous high quality plant species and several that are considered threatened or endangered at the federal or state level.