Prescribed Fire in the Field

Fire moving across an open field is a heart-stopping sight for most. However, properly managed field fires, called prescribed fires or burns, are beneficial to native habitats.

The Wetlands Initiative’s Smart Wetlands program and Illinois Pheasants Forever, Inc. & Quail Forever are inviting farmers, landowners, and natural resource professionals to learn more about how fire can improve natural resource areas containing grassland, pollinator, and wetland habitats. This opportunity is offered in two parts.

The first is a one-hour webinar that provides an overview of why and how prescribed fire is used in the Midwest to manage native, grassland, and wetland habitats. The program will be presented by Illinois Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever staff members at 10:00 AM CST on Thursday, January 29, 2026.

The actual prescribed burn will take place at a Smart Wetlands near Saunemin, IL. At this location, participants will gather in a farm field near the fire site. A fire crew will burn the wetlands and surrounding buffer while IL Pheasants Forever staff members provide a “play-by-play” description of what is happening as the burn progresses and answer questions.