Most of the natural landscape of the Chicago region originally developed in the presence of regular, seasonal fires, which were ignited by lightning and Native Americans. Over thousands of years, most of our wetland, woodland and grassland ecosystems have become adapted to periodic fire. Indeed, many native species of northeastern Illinois live only in healthy grasslands or oak woodlands. These species are adapted to a fire regime.

As a result, most of the Chicago region’s ecosystems fail to thrive in the absence of fire. Historic records indicate that many of our current brush-filled woodlands were once sunny woodlands and oak savannas; brushy fields were once tallgrass prairie. These natural areas changed when humans began to suppress fires. Under shadier conditions, many native plants began to disappear and along with them the insects, small mammals and birds that depended on them for food and shelter.

Until the mid 1900’s, it was thought we could just “put a fence around it” and the natural communities would be preserved. But over time, ecologists began to observe unwelcome changes. The oak trees were no longer reproducing. The prairies were growing dense with brush. Many wildflowers, birds and butterflies that were once abundant are now rare or in danger of becoming extinct.

Since the 1970s, controlled burning has been widely used in the region as an important tool in managing the natural landscape for the benefit of nature and people. Well-planned controlled burns are conducted safely and with minimum inconvenience to nearby neighbors and the general public. When restored to healthy conditions, the native wildflowers, shrubs and trees flourish, providing better habitat for native wildlife.

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