Crime & Safety
That Black Smoke Over Eagle Brook Is the Braeburn Controlled Burn
If you were out and about on Wednesday, you probably saw the plumes of black smoke. No worries—it's the controlled burn that was supposed to start Monday.
It's interesting to watch, but it's not meant to be a spectator sport.
Those plumes of black smoke you saw rising over Eagle Brook subdivision and the surrounding area were caused by the controlled burn that had been scheduled to start Monday.
Applied Ecological Services is handling the controlled burn, with the oversight of the Geneva Fire Department. Fire Chief Steve Olson and Deputy Fire Chief Mark Einwich were surveying the progress around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday.
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Here are some FAQs, courtesy of Applied Ecological Services:
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Q) Will there ever be a time when all the weeds are gone?
A) No. Even minor soil disturbances such ant mounds and animal tracks provide suffi cient habitat for some weeds to establish.
Q) Is it harmful to have some weeds?
A) No. As long as weeds are kept to manageable levels they will not present a problem. In fact, some weeds are quite attractive when they fl ower.
Q) Are there alternatives/options to burning?
A) Not really. Prairie plants are adapted to fi re, which concentrates nutrients and blackens the surface which, in turn, let’s the soil warm faster in spring which, in turn, allows prairie plants to begin growth early.
Q) Are all weedy species annuals?
A) No, some weedy species, such as bluegrass, are perennials. Th ese species are not as easily removed or replaced through succession, competition, mowing or fi re. While they might not be eliminated for a number of years, good practices can reduce them to minor components within the prairie landscape.
