Smoky Hills Prescribed Burn Association

05/29/2026

For those in the Smoky Hills of Kansas, the SHPBA would like your assistance by filling out a quick 10 question survey for future planning purposes:

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

05/27/2026

As tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease. Alpha-Gal, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever continue to rise, land managers and researchers are increasingly turning to an ancient ecological tool for modern public health: prescribed burning. While controlled fires are traditionally used to clear underbrush and revitalize soil, they are proving to be exceptionally effective at suppressing tick populations through both direct and indirect mechanisms.
The immediate benefit of a prescribed fire is direct mortality. Ticks have limited mobility and cannot outrun a moving fire line. High-intensity heat—specifically temperatures exceeding 200°C for even just a few seconds—easily obliterates ticks at all life stages, from microscopic larvae to adults.
However, the long-term, indirect benefits of controlled burns are what truly disrupt the tick life cycle. Ticks are highly sensitive to dehydration and require a humid, moisture-rich microclimate to survive. They typically find this refuge in dense prairie thatch litter and thick undergrowth. Prescribed burns consume this accumulated organic biomass, exposing the prairie floor to direct sunlight and increased wind speeds. This environmental shift raises temperatures and lowers humidity, rendering the habitat dangerously dry for surviving ticks and drastically reducing their ability to search for hosts, a behavior known as "questing."
Furthermore, regular fire maintenance reshapes the local wildlife dynamics. By thinning dense brush, prescribed fires eliminate the protective cover required by small rodents, such as mice, which serve as primary reservoirs for tick-borne pathogens. With less cover, rodent populations decline due to increased predator visibility, meaning fewer hosts are available to sustain the tick population.
Studies show that lone-treatment burns offer only temporary relief, as ticks can quickly re-enter an area via mobile hosts like deer. However, implementing a consistent, long-term rotational burning regime can reduce tick density by up to 60 to 90 percent compared to unburned areas, making prescribed fire an invaluable, eco-friendly weapon in integrated tick management.

05/27/2026

https://youtu.be/WcpjB7v2w-c?si=G3ZRJEkq8A5bzO1A

Take some time to watch this Texas webinar in prescribed burning. This is the type of country I cut my teeth on learning how to burn…

Learn how to develop a long term prescribed fire strategy, from set...

05/03/2026

Why August Back-Burning is a Game-Changer

Spring burn season has winded down and cattle have been moved to pasture. The next burn opportunity will be arriving soon. In the world of land management, fire is often viewed as a destructive force to be feared. However, we can harness it correctly through prescribed burning. Burning becomes one of the most effective tools for restoring ecological balance. Among the various techniques, the August burns are easier to handle and more effective. Now is the time to begin planning for August burns.

As a rancher impacted by Old World Bluestem, I am planning a specific type of August burn and would appreciate help. A complete back-burn stands out as a high-stakes, high-reward strategy. It is specifically designed to dismantle the stronghold of invasive woody species (cedar and locust) and stubborn invasive grasses (OWB).

What makes this burn special? A back-burn is a fire ignited along a prepared firebreak (like a road or a plowed line) that is designed to burn against the wind. Because the flames are fighting the breeze, the fire moves slowly and stays low to the ground. While a "head fire" (burning with the wind) races across the landscape, a back-burn lingers. The increased residence time is the secret to a back burn success. The sustained heat penetrates the soil surface and the protective bark of invasive species more effectively than a fast-moving blaze.

Why August? Timing is everything. August represents the peak of air temperature and the late growing season. This timing offers distinct biological advantages:
* Maximum Stress on Woody Invasives: By late summer, trees like Eastern Red Cedar or locust have invested massive amounts of energy into leaf production and growth. A fire at this stage catches them when their carbohydrate reserves are low, making it much harder for locust to resprout (and kill cedars) compared to a spring season burn.
* Targeting Cool-Season Grasses: Invasive grasses like Smooth Brome are often weakened by the summer heat. An August burn delivers a "knockout punch" that reduces their seed bank and clears the way for native warm-season grasses to take over.
* Targeting Old World Bluestems: The plant’s growth point is slightly above the soil surface. The intense heat of a high air temperature, low humidity, increased fire residence time can destroy the OWB growth point. The natives, that developed under fire are more resilient to August fires.
* Seed Bed Preparation: Burning in August clears away the "thatch"—the thick layer of dead organic matter that often chokes out native wildflowers. This exposes bare mineral soil just in time for the autumn seed rain, providing the perfect nursery for native biodiversity.

Invasive trees often create a "green glacier" that shades out native sun-loving plants. A slow-moving August back-burn excels at girdling the tree trunk. The heat lingers at the base of the trunk, destroying the cambium layer—the tree’s circulatory system. The back-burn effectively "strangles" it, leading to standing dead timber that provides excellent habitat for woodpeckers and other wildlife without the competitive shade.

While August burns require expert planning due to higher ambient temperatures and lower humidity, they offer unparalleled precision. Because back-burns move slowly, they are easier to monitor and extinguish if conditions shift. Furthermore, they provide a "slow exit" for mobile wildlife, allowing insects, reptiles, and mammals ample time to find a refuge.

An August complete back-burn isn't just about killing invasives; it's about resetting the clock. By removing the dominant, non-native competition, you unlock the potential of the native seed bank. Following a late-summer burn, the subsequent spring typically sees a literal explosion of native "forbs" (wildflowers) and bunchgrasses that have been waiting for their moment in the sun. In the fight against ecological degradation, the August back-burn proves that sometimes, the best way to protect a landscape is to carefully, strategically, let it burn.

Now is the time for you to plan your August burns: using head fires? Or using back burns?. It all starts with answering the question: What are your goals? Contact Paul Finnell (7855777064) if you are in need of a burn plan or if you have questions.

04/26/2026

Here's a great opoortunity for those interested in fire ecology.

04/22/2026

Consider patch burning just like rotational grazing. It is a process that allows burning to be accomplished each year on a rested pasture or piece of pasture.

04/21/2026

Once again for those who have not participated:

🔥 Kansas Landowners & Managers, Your Voice Matters 🔥

K-State researchers are studying how real-world challenges impact decisions on prescribed fire across Kansas.

If you’ve ever dealt with changing regulations, weather concerns, or community pressure around burning, this survey is for you.

✔️ Takes just 10–15 minutes
✔️ Confidential & voluntary
✔️ Helps shape future fire policy & support programs

Your input will help improve how prescribed fire is understood and used across our grazing lands.

👉 Take the survey: https://kstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_e9vM5Czr8p19wsC

👉 View the flyer in the comments

Kansas State University K-State Department of Animal Sciences & Industry

04/14/2026

Members and any other landowner interested in assisting KSU are welcome to take this survey on Prescribed Burning here in Kansas

The most powerful, simple and trusted way to gather experience data. Start your journey to experience management and try a free account today.

04/12/2026

In Kansas rangeland, weather conditions can be the difference between a successful burn and a runaway fire.

Look for:
✔ Steady winds 5–12 mph
✔ Humidity 40–70%
✔ Temps 50–80°F
✔ Good smoke dispersion (mixing height >1,800 ft)

Hold off if you see:
❌ Wind shifts in the forecast
❌ Humidity below 30%
❌ Strong frontal systems approaching
❌ Potential smoke drifting toward highways or towns

Prescribed fire works best when it moves predictably across the pasture.

Before burning, check:
• Kansas Mesonet for local weather data https://mesonet.k-state.edu/
• KS Fire Smoke Model to track smoke movement https://ksfire.sonomatechdata.com/view/summary/

Fire is a powerful tool, but only when used under the right conditions.

04/10/2026

The contrast visible in these prairie photos tells a story that is becoming increasingly common across the Kansas Smoky Hills and other prairie regions: the spread of Old World bluestems (OWB) and the ecological shift they can create. Species such as Yellow Bluestem and Caucasian Bluestem were introduced decades ago for erosion control and forage have proven to be aggressive invaders of native prairie systems.

In the images, the dense, straw-colored stands illustrate one of OWB’s defining traits—its ability to dominate a site once established. These grasses form thick monocultures that crowd out native prairie species like Little Bluestem and Big Bluestem. Native warm-season grasses evolved in highly diverse plant communities, where dozens of grasses and forbs share space and resources. OWB, however, grows in tight clumps and produces heavy litter layers that suppress germination of competing plants. Over time, biodiversity declines and the prairie becomes structurally simpler.

These photos hint at another factor that favors these invasive grasses: disturbed or eroded soils. Old World bluestems are exceptionally well adapted to harsh conditions. Their root systems tolerate poor soil structure, low organic matter, and drought stress better than many native prairie plants. When overgrazing, drought, or erosion thins native vegetation, OWB often moves in quickly and fills the gaps. This competitive advantage allows it to colonize degraded sites and then expand outward into healthier prairie.

Another reason OWB spreads so successfully is its high forage production. In favorable conditions, these species can produce more total biomass than many native grasses. Ranchers historically valued them for this trait, but the trade-off is ecological: while tonnage may be high, forage quality often declines earlier in the season, and wildlife habitat value drops significantly compared to diverse native prairie. A field dominated by OWB may look productive in terms of sheer grass mass, but it supports fewer pollinators, birds, and native plant species.

One management tool that has shown promise in limiting OWB expansion is the use of late-summer prescribed fire. Conducting controlled burns in August disrupts the growth cycle of Old World bluestems when they are actively storing energy for reproduction. This timing can reduce seed production and will weaken established plants. Native warm-season prairie species, which evolved with periodic fire, generally recover more effectively from these burns.

When repeated over multiple years, August prescribed fires can gradually reduce OWB dominance and give native grasses and forbs an opportunity to re-establish. While fire alone rarely eliminates Old World bluestems entirely, it remains one of the most practical landscape-scale tools for slowing their spread and helping restore balance to Kansas prairie ecosystems.

04/06/2026

Well, we snuck one in on you! Forecast for Monday the 6th said winds would pick up at 1pm. We started at 930 and finished the 130 acres around 1. Original forecast was south winds but it was E-SE winds so we modified the burn plan. Dr Wedel's place in Ottawa county has been burned. Thanks to all attendees. It is another successful SHPBA burn.