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Prescribed Burns
According to the USDA Forest Service, a prescribed burn (also referred to as a controlled burn), is "any fire intentionally ignited to meet specific land management objectives such as to reduce flammable fuels, restore ecosystem health, recycle nutrients, or prepare an area for new trees or vegetation.” Likewise, the Naperville Park District uses spring and fall prescribed ground-level burns as an effective tool to clear the ground of invasive weeds and reduce the amount of leaf and plant debris on the ground with the goal of returning nutrients to the soil and trigger germination of native plants that depend on fire as part of their natural lifecycle. The Park District has a maintenance plan for its parks and specifically a maintenance schedule for each park and natural area across the District. This schedule includes intervals of prescribed burns along with other maintenance initiatives.
2025 Planned Prescribed Burns
Spring
Arrowhead Park – 711 Iroquois Avenue
Ashbury Greenway – 3475 Plainfield/Naperville Road
Ashbury Park – 1740 Conan Doyle Road
Bailey Hobson Woods – 1184 Hobson Mill Drive
Baileywood Park – 1588 Oxford Lane
Brighton Ridge Park – 775 Torrington Drive
Brook Crossings – 1015 95th Street
Buttonwood Park – 803 Buttonwood Circle
Commissioners Park – 3704 111th Street
DuPage River Park – 808 Royce Road
Fairway Commons Park – 955 Fairway Drive
Fort Hill Activity Center – 20 Fort Hill Drive
Frontier Sports Complex – 3380 Cedar Glade Drive
Hobson West Ponds – 1047 S. West Street
Hunter Woods – 2007 Lakeview Court
Kingsley Prairie – 160 Ring Road
Knoch Knolls Commons – 323 Knoch Knolls Road
Knoch Knolls Park – 336 Knoch Knolls Road
Lincoln Greenway – 1052 Edgewater Drive
May Watts Park – 804 S Whispering Hills Drive
Meadow Glens – 1303 Muirhead Avenue
Nike Sports Complex – 288 W Diehl Road
Olesen Estates Park – 1415 Dunrobin Road
Pioneer Park – 1212 S Washington Street
Rock Ridge Park – 1316 Green Trails Drive
Seager Park – 1163 Plank Road
Sportsman’s Park – 735 S West Street
Springbrook Crossings – 1211 Leverenz Road
Springbrook Parkway – 2359 Nottingham Lane
Summerfield Lake Park – 2003 Skylane Drive
Tall Grass Lakes – 3320 Rollingridge Road
Westglen Commons – 467 Westglen Drive
Willowgate Square – 408 Travelaire Avenue
Wil-O-Way Commons – 1071 W Jefferson Avenue
Wil-O-Way Park – 1408 W Jefferson Avenue
Winding Creek Park – 144 W Bailey Road
Wolf’s Crossing Community Park – 3252 Wolf’s Crossing Road
History of Prescribed Burns
In Illinois' early history, prairie fires occurred regularly with lightning strikes and the deep-rooted native prairie plants evolved to withstand fire. Today, trained crews supervise a tightly controlled process that is pre-approved through the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) and Naperville Fire Department.
Staff Certifications
Park District parks staff are responsible for the safe and effective management of prescribed burns. Certification from the State of Illinois requires specific training and experience as established in the Illinois Prescribed Burn Act.
Permits
Naperville Park District must obtain an Open Burn Permit from the IEPA in addition to a permit from the Naperville Fire Department.
When Do Prescribed Burns Take Place?
Although the spring and fall seasons are optimal for conducting prescribed burns, the actual timing depends on several variables including:
- Ground temperature following snow melt; the ground needs to be sufficiently warm, but the grass must remain dormant for the burn to be successful
- Weather conditions must be favorable with low wind velocity and wind direction specific to burn site
- Low chance of precipitation
These parameters result in a limited number of prescribed burns that are able to take place each season.
Learn more about the process of prescribed burns and their importance:
