Burn designed to restore native prairie grasses Published Oct. 21, 2008 By Derek Kaufman 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- Gray smoke briefly rose over Huffman Prairie here today from a planned burn designed to spur growth of native grasses. The prescribed burn of about 24 acres of prairie was done in coordination with and under the watchful eyes of Forestry Division officials from Ohio's Department of Natural Resources. The last similar burn was accomplished more than five years ago, said Karen Beason, Wright-Patterson's natural resources manager. Base officials now plan to burn up to 25 percent of the prairie annually, if required, to restore the prairie to its original character and rid it of non-native plant species, Beason said. Huffman Prairie is southeast of Wright-Patterson's two runways. The Air Force oversees environmental protection for the lands, which include part of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park. The burn had originally been proposed for Oct. 20, but was postponed due to less than ideal weather conditions. To be successful, very precise temperature, relative humidity, wind direction, wind speed and ground moisture conditions must be present. Some wind is needed to advance the burn, but too much and it can grow out of control. Beason said the burns are typically accomplished in the fall season, in part because the ground is often too wet in the spring. "Today turned out to be an excellent day to burn," Beason said. "We really appreciate the Ohio Division of Forestry officials who were gracious enough to support us on site." Base firefighters assisted in planning and overseeing the burn, which also serves as a training opportunity, said Tracy Young, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Fire Department's chief for training.