Prescribed Fires Helping Oklahoma’s Wildlife & Vegetation

Once again, Oklahomans will see smoke coming from parts of the state due to another prescribed fire. If you're not from Oklahoma, you might be wondering why it seems to be happening so frequently, especially during such a dry season. Prescribed fires actually help Oklahoma's wildlife in the long run and make things better for the coming year.

Parts of Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge Closed For Prescribed Burn

The Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge wanted to inform Oklahomans about another prescribed burn happening today, Tuesday, Jan. 28, at Quanah Parker Lake in southwest Oklahoma. "You may notice smoke during the burn," they wrote, "and it could be visible from a distance. We want to reassure you that this is a normal part of the process, though residual smoke may linger in the area for a few days afterward."

The areas are closed to the public while the prescribed burn is happening to make sure everyone stays safe. In addition, there are expected to be some short-term closures along Highway 49, which may cause some delay for those who travel regularly through the area.

Prescribed burns play a huge role in making sure the year ahead is as flourishing as possible. Ironically enough, burning everything at some point actually does help Oklahoma's wildlife - animals, insects and even the grass coming in the spring.

Prescribed Burns Bring Back Life To Oklahoma's Nature & Wildlife

While it seems counterintuative, there's plenty of research supporting that controlled burns actually help with grass and plant growth, which helps support wildlife. Recently, a research paper from the Oklahoma City Zoo's Conservation Scientist Dr. Emily Geest supported the idea that controlled burns could have a positive effect on butterfly populations in Oklahoma. 

"Fire is a key piece to creating the habitat butterflies are reliant on in prairies,” she said. "Grassland areas managed with fire alone supported the most unique mix of butterfly species compared to other management styles.”

Fire creates less disturbance than other management practices and encourages pollinators like butterflies to come and help Oklahoma's vegetation flourish.

If you want to read more about the research  Dr. Emily Geest wrote about, you can find the entire research paper here.

If You See Smoke In Oklahoma Skies, It May Just Be A Prescribed Burn

Since controlled burns are so important, it's not uncommon to see them around Oklahoma. Sometimes it's difficult to tell if a fire in the distance could be a controlled fire versus a fire emergency.

To know for sure, you should always check local news from fire departments, city governments and organizations that may be in charge of controlled burns.