Commonly Asked Questions about Fire

How does fire help the ecosystem?
The lower Colorado River ecosystem evolved with flooding. These floods were a natural mechanism by which the native vegetation, such as cottonwood and willow trees, reproduced. When the dams were built in the early 1900s, the river no longer flooded. Land managers learned to use fire to remove unwanted vegetation or to thin out overgrown habitat. Fire management units within Topock Marsh are periodically burned to thin out thickened stands of cattails. Cattails are used by waterbirds such as rails, bitterns, and grebes for nesting and protection. When the stands of cattails grow too thick, the waterbirds are unable to move through the plants. By burning the cattails, the waterbirds are once again able to use them.

How do plants survive a fire?
Some plants are able to re-sprout from their roots after the fire passes. Other plants do not survive the fire; however there are many seeds from that plant in the soil. These seeds are what managers call the "seed bank." Over many years, seeds from different plants accumulate in the soil. A seed can spend years in the seed bank, waiting for the right conditions to sprout. Fire can help these seeds sprout by creating favorable conditions such as increasing the light, moisture, and nutrients available to that seed.

What happens to the wildlife?
Most animals remain very calm during a fire. Ground dwelling animals can find shelter by staying in their underground burrows. In wooded areas some animals go into tree cavities. Animals that run and birds that fly leave the area ahead of the fire. Very few animals are unable to escape the fire. Prescribed burning creates habitat that makes resources such as food, nesting areas, and escape cover more available for wildlife.