Prescribed Burn Planned at Homestead

Beatrice, Nebraska - Homestead National Historical Park plans to conduct a prescribed burn treating approximately 60 acres. This one-day event will occur on the first day in which favorable and safe conditions exist between now and April 1, 2022. Representatives from the National Park Service, local firefighters, and other federal firefighting agencies and departments will assist in igniting, monitoring, and controlling the prescribed fire.   

The areas that will be treated with fire are in the woodland and prairie in the southwest part of the park and the area to the east of the Heritage Center.  Parking at the Heritage Center will be limited on the day of the burn. 

“This prescribed burn will mark the first time treating the vegetation around the Heritage Center parking lot and woodland with prescribed fire. While impacts of the fire will be visible all winter, experience and research reassure us that early in the spring the vegetation will come back healthier and more diverse than it currently is,” remarked Resource Management Specialist Jesse Bolli of Homestead National Historical Park.   

The 2.5 miles of trails within the park will be temporarily closed during the prescribed burn and will reopen as soon as it is deemed safe. Travelers on State Hwy 4 should use extra caution if traveling through the park while the burn is occurring. The public is invited to view the burn from the Heritage Center patio. 

You can also learn more about the park and available accessibility accommodations by visiting the park website, or you can contact us at [email protected] or at (402)223-3514. 

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