Prescribed fire is the skilled application of fire to wildland areas to achieve the following management goals:
- Maintaining fire-dependent ecosystems for improved plant and animal habitat
- Reducing local wildfire hazard through the controlled burning of potential fuels under carefully managed conditions
- Providing valuable, hands-on wildland fire training for local firefighters
Logan County fire departments, in cooperation with local conservation organizations, conducted prescribed burns in the spring and fall each year. These prescribed fires are always professionally managed, with an Ohio Certified Prescribed Fire Manager in charge, and plenty of fire department resources on scene. All burns are carefully planned to minimize smoke impacts to neighboring residents.
The largest prescribed fire site in Logan County is Myeerah Nature Preserve, located in Jefferson Township and managed by the Bellefontaine Joint Recreation District. About one-third of the 450-acre preserve is managed by rotational burning for fire-dependent native ecosystems, including tallgrass prairie, oak savannas, and oak forests. Burning on the preserve is done by the Bellefontaine Fire Department, with assistance from other several other Logan County fire departments.
Remnant native tallgrass prairie areas along the Simon Kenton Trail between West Liberty and Bellefontaine are also managed using prescribed fire. Burning is done by the West Liberty Fire Department, with assistance from Bellefontaine Fire Department and the Simon Kenton Pathfinders.
Several private landowners around the county are also assisted with prescribed burning by Logan County fire departments, whenever these burns can be accomplished as training events for fire crews.
