Fire kills aboveground parts of prairie sandreed, but the rhizomes probably survive most fires.
Prairie sandreed starts growth earlier in the spring following a fire. The effect of fire on frequency of prairie sandreed appears variable. After spring fires, some researchers have found it to increase in frequency, while others have found it to decrease in frequency. Here percentage seedhead presence was much higher on burned versus unburned areas. Whether reproduction by seeds increased is not known, but fire removed litter buildup and exposed mineral soil, creating a more faborable seedbed.