More than 50 years of fire suppression and lack of grazing may be threatening the health of the prairie, as well as creating the perfect element for a large wildfire at the nuclear site. Fires broke out at three other DOE nuclear facilities this year. The fire at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, in Washington, shows how dangerous a buildup of organic material is in a prairie, especially one surrounding a nuclear site. But the fire at Los Alamos National Laboratory, in New Mexico, shows how easily a controlled burn can get out of hand. One local scientist says he knows how the DOE can preserve the health of the prairie and diminish the risk of wildfire, without large prescribed burns.
Fire is a natural part of any prairie system.
Rampe says the problem in the buffer zone is that it has had no fires for 20 to 30 years, and is starting to choke on its own thatch buildup. This heavy layer of dead grass shades growing grasses, holds back nutrients from the soil and keeps water from penetrating, leading to changes in the diversity of species that live there. It also leads to a big fuel buildup for wildfires. Regular, low-intensity burns get rid of the thatch layer and open up the prairie, sending nutrients to the soil and allowing water to penetrate. The goal of prescribed burning is to reduce the fuel load and discourage large fires that can get out of hand.