A fire burned through the wildlife area near the Wright School of Education Wednesday morning. But don’t worry — it was on purpose.
The fire was a prescribed burn, an intentional blaze to eradicate invasive species and revitalize the area’s ecosystem, said Mike Girvin, campus division manager for IU Facility Operations.
This is the first prescribed burn on the Bloomington campus.
“It was part of a restoration effort,” Girvin said. “That area is a mitigated area, which means it was a substitute for another area where work was done on the Jordan River.”
Because the water from the Jordan River often floods over into this spot, the plants there have grown at rapid rates. This is problematic with invasive species, which can get in the way of the species that should naturally exist there. Some of the invasive species in the area include sapling Maple trees, reed canarygrass and Canada thistle.
“Invasive species choke out the native species that we want to see there, the ones that filter water and provide better habitats,” Girvin said.
With the overgrowth of invasive species inevitably comes a pile-up of dead plant material. The fire can get rid of these and revitalize the soil beneath, Girvin said.
To set a blaze that will effectively clear out the ecosystem without doing too much damage, weather conditions must be just right. Girvin said conditions Wednesday were perfect.
The soil must be damp enough to control the burn, but not so damp that a fire cannot spread. For prime control, there must be low winds, and plant material must have had time to dry out for a few days beforehand.
This time of year is also ideal because it is before nesting season for birds, and any amphibians will be stealth-sleeping, Girvin said.
“We saw a few rabbits skedaddling out of there, but otherwise nothing,” Girvin said. “This is the prime time of year to burn in terms of critter safety.”
Many safety precautions were taken before the fire was set. Faculty and students students in surrounding areas were notified before it began, said Mel Lane, assistant director of the office of insurance, loss control and claims.
Two trucks with 2,500 gallon water tanks stood by, along with two smaller mobile units that could get closer to the fire. Initially, Lane said, the blaze didn’t burn very well. Rakes and propane torches were used to keep it going.
The fire was very well-contained, and the sidewalks served as natural barriers where it would have extinguished, although it didn’t get that far. With the exception of a couple joggers, Lane said people stayed away from the area during the fire.
In total, the fire burned for two hours and took out about 50 percent of the vegetation, Girvin said. While the process itself went well, determining the overall success or whether it will need to be repeated again in the future isn’t possible yet.
“I’ll have a better idea of how successful it was in a few months than I do right now,” Girvin said.
