Lake Fayetteville burn bans set

In an effort to restore the natural vegetation at Lake Fayetteville, the City of Fayetteville is planning two prescribed burns to aid in prairie restoration, site preparation and reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire. The burns are scheduled to be conducted Friday, March 7, if predicted weather conditions materialize. If weathers conditions are not suitable, the burns will be rescheduled within the next two weeks. The burns will take place on the dam and on approximately 40 acres north of the Environmental Study Center located on Lakeview Drive. The paved and nature trails from Veteran’s Memorial Park to the Lake Fayetteville Marina will be closed while the burn is conducted on the dam. The paved and nature trails from the Environmental Study Center north around to the Botanical Gardens will be closed while the burn is conducted on the 40 acre prairie restoration site. For safety reasons, the public will not be allowed in these areas while the burns are being conducted.

Oklahoma-based Chloeta Fire (CFI), a Native American owned company providing wildland and prescribed fire consulting and contracting services, will plan and conduct both burns. The personnel of CFI collectively possess many decades of prior public-sector firefighting employment experience in addition to advanced industry qualifications and educational backgrounds in fields such as forestry, rangeland management, and wildlife ecology. A team of wildland fire professionals with extensive experience in the public sector will ensure that the burns are conducted with minimal impact to the public. The burns will only be implemented under a strict set of weather and environmental parameters such as fuel, moisture, relative humidity and smoke dispersion indices.

Citizens may see or smell smoke on the day the burn is conducted until ignition operations are complete. Public safety is the number one priority for the City and burn contractor. Please call Parks and Recreation at 479-444-3471 for closure information.

Upcoming Events