Prescribed fire this week at Chickamauga Battlefield

March 27, 2023

Courtney Goins,

(Courtesy: Summer Goins)

CHICKAMAUGA, Ga. (WDEF) — The National Park Service (NPS) is planning to conduct a prescribed fire in the Chickamauga Battlefield this week. The fire will be north of Viniard-Alexander Road.

Depending on weather conditions, it will take place sometime during the week of March 27.

Viniard-Alexander Road will be closed during the prescribed fire, officials said. All trails in the burn area will be closed as well.

Officials said, depending on smoke conditions, they may also need to close other park roads.

The NPS said this is the first prescribed fire to happen in the Chickamauga and Chattanooga and Chattanooga National Military Park.

In addition, this is only one of five prescribed fires the NPS will have in the next several years.

The NPS made this statement on the reason for the fire:

The goals of this fire are to restore, protect, and maintain the historic and cultural landscapes; restore and maintain fire adapted plant communities; reduce hazard fuel accumulations; eradicate invasive woody and exotic vegetation species which compete with native vegetation and to maintain and promote suitable conditions for limestone glad communities.