A member of a fire burn crew monitors an area burn at the Asylum Lake preserve in 2019.
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Ongoing efforts will launch at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, April 22, at Western Michigan University's Asylum Lake Preserve to actively manage the nature preserve for research, education, passive recreation and ecological health.
Plans call for the middle and lower-middle forest area, sections S2 and F7, to undergo a prescribed forest and prairie burn. The area includes 18 acres of prairie and savannah and 17.3 acres of forest—a total of 35.3 acres south of big Asylum Lake and west of little Asylum Lake.
Prescribed burns are fires that are intentionally set and carefully managed. They are periodically necessary to maintain and promote the health of native vegetation.
Due to specific weather conditions required for a safe burn, including air temperature below 60°F, humidity above 40% and wind speeds between 5 to 15 m.p.h., the exact burn date was announced shortly in advance. Signage will be in place, alerting visitors to not enter the burn areas.
Burns are planned and executed to minimize the amount of smoke produced, and prior notice was given to people residing near the burn areas. Temporary "burn breaks" are created around the area to be burned to help manage the fire and delineate the site's exact boundaries.
To ensure safety and follow best management practices, the Asylum Lake Policy and Management Council has hired professional fire crews to manage the upcoming burns. The contractor is PlantWise LLC, an ecological restoration company based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Since 2000, small parcels have been intentionally burned in the 274-acre Asylum Lake Preserve, which is owned and managed by WMU and overseen by the Asylum Lake Policy and Management Council. They took place in 2003, 2005, 2007, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022.
Learn more about Asylum Lake Preserve online.
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