Wildfires set by lightning or by Native Americans were common before European settlement. As violent and intense as prairie fires might be, they do not harm the native grass they consume. Fire rejuvenate prairie plants by removing dead plant material and quickly returning nutrients to the soil. These released nutrients feed the deep root systems of the prairie perennials. After most burns, production of roots, flowers and seeds increases greatly, and plants are often taller and more lush than before the fire.
Fire also prevents the spread of the forest into the prairie.
Fie is a key factor in prairie ecology, and carefully prescribed burning is the most useful tool in prairie management today.