Montgomery Parks will be conducting prescribed fires at River Road Shale Barrens Conservation Park (Poolesville) and Serpentine Barrens Conservation Park (Potomac) in early to mid-March 2025 to help restore the parks’ native habitats and better support natural ecosystems.
Per Montgomery Parks: Prescribed fires maintain and enhance native biological diversity and are a preferred alternative to mowing. Prescribed fires remove dead plant material, allowing sunlight and rain to reach the soil surface to promote regeneration of native wildflowers and grasses.
“As with all park programs and initiatives, safety is top priority. The prescribed fires will be executed under strict requirements outlined in a Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service-approved prescribed burn plan,” said Ryan Colliton, principal natural resources specialist for Montgomery Parks. “Fires are a natural process which support diversity of habitats and are essential to maintaining fire-adapted habitats and their associated species.”
The fire will be conducted by highly trained staff who follow a set of strict criteria, including fuel characteristics, weather, and containment parameters. If one of the above-mentioned parameters is not met, then the prescribed fire will not be conducted.
While the prescribed fires will be contained within the identified area, smoke will be visible but should lift adequately above the surrounding areas. The fires will last about three hours; staff will remain on site to extinguish all smoldering materials.
The exact date of the prescribed fire is dependent upon weather conditions, and it will be posted on Montgomery Parks website at www.MontgomeryParks.org/prescribed-fire.