Shawnee National Forest begins fall prescribed fire schedule
Date/Time
Date(s) - 10/06/2026 - 11/30/2026
12:00 am
Categories
Shawnee National Forest begins fall prescribed fire schedule
Prescribed burns reduce wildfire risk and promote healthy ecosystems
(Harrisburg, Ill., October 5, 2026) — The Shawnee National Forest is planning prescribed fire operations this fall as weather and burn conditions allow. Prescribed fire is used as a science-based, beneficial land management tool to manage forests and openland habitats in southern Illinois. Late season burns help reduce overgrown vegetation, including invasive species, and lessens wildfire risk in local communities.
Residents and travelers near a national forest may see smoke in the area. Prescribed fires and the approximate sizes planned for Gallatin, Hardin and Pope counties include:
- Russel Cemetery, 279 acres, Gallatin County
- Pounds Hollow, 123 acres, Gallatin County
- Lee Mine, 124 acres, Hardin County
- Whoopie Cat, 357 acres, Hardin County
- Kickasola Poco, 42 acres, Pope County
- Kickasola Poco West, 232 acres, Pope County
- McConnel North, 130 acres, Pope County
- Trigg Tower, 45 acres, Pope County
- Cretaceous Hills, 331 acres, Pope County
- Lake Glendale, 25 acres, Pope County
- Fink Sandstone, 603 acres, Pope County
- Turpen, 122 acres, Pope County
- Rothomel, 42 acres, Pope County
- Pennant Bar, 540 acres, Pope County
- Ashby, 106 acres, Pope County
- West Tract, 105 acres, Pope County
Prescribed fires and the approximate sizes planned for Jackson County include:
- Cedar Lake Kudzu, 245 acres, Jackson County
- Mill Creek, 200 acres, Jackson County
- TPL, 109 acres, Jackson County
- Inagheh 4/5, 200 acres, Jackson County
Areas may be closed to the public for several days for public safety. Watch for warning signs along roads near prescribed fire areas before and during burns.
Residents may experience smoke during the prescribed burns. For more detailed information about air quality, go to AirNow online or download the app. When driving, slow down and turn on your headlights when you encounter smoke on the road.
Stay informed about the scheduled prescribed fires through the forest website by using the online Prescribed Fire Interactive Map to view and locate past prescribed burns and future planned burns. In addition, follow social media channels, and InciWeb, the interagency incident information system for prescribed burn notifications for current fire information.
About the Forest Service: The Forest Service has, for more than 100 years, brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology — and rooted in communities — the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.