A prescribed burn along the Simon Kenton Trail bicycle path should improve the health of the path and prevent wildfires in the future.
Firefighters Davi Stoltzfus, left, of Tri-Valley Fire Department, and Steve Rabenstein of West Liberty Fire Department burn along the Simon Kenton Trail north of West Liberty on Sunday afternoon. (EXAMINER PHOTO | REUBEN MEES)
Firefighters with West Liberty Fire Department, along with Bellefontaine Fire Department’s rural operations coordinator Jeremy Keller and Davi Stoltzfus, a volunteer from Tri-Valley Fire Department, spent about seven hours on the trail igniting dry vegetation.
“This trail has never been intentionally burned,” Keller said. “It should be really pretty late this summer when the wildflowers start to come up.”
The burn also helps control invasive species, inlcuding the much maligned honeysuckle, and is a deterrent to future wildfires, the firefighter said.
“This is one of the few areas in Logan County that has been identified by the U.S. Forestry Service as a possible wildfire area,” Keller added. “By burning it off now, it reduces the amount of fuel that would be available if there ever is a fire.”
Read complete story in Tuesday’s Examiner.
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