If you see smoke at the Vicksburg Military National Park later this week, officials are saying not to be alarmed.
The National Park Service (NPS) will be conducting prescribed fires to manage vegetation in select areas of the historic Civil War battle site on Wednesday and Thursday, if weather permits. Locations for prescribed fires will include large grassy areas in the South Loop, near the Illinois Memorial and Shirley House, the western slope of Fort Hill, along Graveyard Road, and at Thayer’s Approach — a grand total of around 231 acres.
NPS fire crews from the Mississippi River Fire Management Zone based in Tupelo and Vicksburg National Military Park staff will help conduct the burns.
Per officials, prescribed fires allow for a safe burn to be conducted under optimal conditions with sufficient resources available to meet specific objectives for the management of battlefield resources.
The overall objectives are to maintain the conditions of the battlefield as experienced by the soldiers who fought there, perpetuate the open-space character of the landscape,, maintain wildlife habitats, control invasive exotic species, reduce shrub and woody species components, and reduce fuels in wooded areas to reduce fire hazards.
No prolonged road closures are anticipated. It is possible that smoke conditions might reduce visibility to a level that would require a temporary closure of limited areas to ensure public and firefighter safety. On the days of the burns, runners and walkers are encouraged to use alternative routes due to the potential for smoke.
Up-to-date information on this and any other closures and fire activity will be posted on the park’s social media sites. The prescribed fires will be conducted from approximately late morning through the afternoon, followed by patrol and monitoring to ensure the fire is completely out.
A combination of hoses, mowed areas, and fire engines will be used to create a buffer and fire break to protect monuments and other cultural resources. NPS staff will monitor air quality and smoke impacts as well as visibility on nearby roads.
