Several parks in Detroit have been scorched and left with black soot, where officials would like to see more greenery.
An ecological restoration company performed prescribed burns Thursday in Palmer, Rouge, and Riverside parks.
“Some seeds need a little fire to germinate,” said Jeff Klein, deputy chief of landscape architecture for Detroit’s General Services Department.
David Mindell, owner and burn boss of PlantWise, said the burns are a natural and beneficial practice.
“The goal of the project was to convert the dead standing biomass that’s left after an annual year of growth and converting that into good, usable nutrients,” said Mindell. “Blackened soil tends to absorb the sun’s rays a lot more and heats up, and many of the native species really thrive on the warmer soil temperatures.”
“The city-led pilot program is aimed at promoting the healthy growth of natural areas, including bird habitats, and really the best way to manage them is through burning,” Klein said.
In partnership with the Huron-Clinton Metro Parks and with permits from the Detroit Fire Department, the burns were initially scheduled for April 13.
“We had crews mobilized,” Klein said.
But dry, hot, breezy conditions and poor air quality are unfavorable to it. While Thursday’s (May 11) weather was ideal, the delay had a drawback.
“The huge amount of green really slows fires’ progress down,” Mindell said.
That is good for someone who uses a grill or fire pit.
“So, when the humidity is low, or winds are really high–those are the types of days that fires are much more likely to jump out of a barbecue pit into some mulch or some dead grasses,” Mindell said.
Pictures from the controlled burn can be seen below: