Fire-related mortality of burrowing owl has not been documented in the literature. Frequent fire can maintain or improve burrowing owl habitats by reducing plant height and cover around burrows and by controlling woody plant invasion. Since arthropods form the majority of the burrowing owl's diet, fire effects on burrowing owl's arthropod prey are an important management consideration. Because beetles, grasshoppers, and crickets form the majority of the burrowing owl's arthropod diet, they are discussed here.
Beetles are a diverse order, and the effects of fire on beetles are variable.
Generally, however, beetle populations in grassland habitats recover quickly from fire. After a March wildfire on an Illinois prairie, beetle numbers initially dropped 15 percent, but nearly equalled beetle numbers on an adjacent unburned prairie within a month. Jerusalem crickets are a key element in the diet of burrowing owl in many areas. Unlike most Orthoptera, they are wingless even as adults. They habitually burrow or hide under rocks, where they are probably protected from fire.