Controlled Burns

Controlled Burn Scheduled: Week of December 4, 2023

The Village of Lombard’s Public Works Department, in conjunction with Bedrock Earthscapes, LLC of Wheaton, will be performing controlled burns this fall (late November) to help promote healthy native vegetation at the following locations:

  • Echo Pond, at the southeast corner of Wilson Avenue and Main Street across the street from Glenbard—East High School
  • Grace/Central Basin, northeast corner of the intersection of Grace Street and Central Avenue
  • Parker/Kaplan Basin, west of Kramer Avenue, north of Kaplan Court, and east of Parker Drive
  • Surges Center (Public Works Maintenance Facility), in the Garfield Street cul-de-sac, north of North Avenue (Route 64).

Controlled burns rely heavily on weather and site conditions. A one-day notice will be given before the burn, which will be shared on the Village's website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts. Additionally, residents can sign up to receive email notices and updates at villageoflombard.org/notifyme.

If you have any questions, please contact Public Works at (630) 620-5740 or publicworks@villageoflombard.org

About Controlled/Prescribed Burnscontrolled burn


To receive notifications when the Village is performing controlled burns, please sign up for Notify Me. 

What: A “controlled burn” or “prescribed burn,” is a planned fire that is used as a conservation method to help restore prairie vegetation. Parameters of the burn consider the safety of the general public, weather, and the likelihood of meeting the objectives of the burn.

Why: Prescribed fire is one tool in native area management. It is used to control weeds, recycle nutrients and to encourage stronger native plant growth

When: Spring and fall are the two primary seasons for burning. The spring burn season typically runs from early March through mid-April. Burns conducted in the Fall are typically performed shortly following the first killing frost from approximately late October to the first snowfall in early December. Appropriate conditions must be present for a controlled burn. These include atmospheric conditions such as temperature, humidity, chance of precipitation and wind speed and direction. All these factor make it difficult to schedule a burn to no more than one day in advance.

How: Wind and smoke management are important considerations in any prescribed burn. An attempt is made by the burn contractor to minimize smoke drift whenever possible. Prairie fires usually burn very quickly and any smoke usually dissipates quickly. The fire is contained around the perimeters of the prescribed burn areas by prior mowing, use of wet lines (spraying the vegetation along the edge with water) or back-burning.

Who: Burns are carried out by a trained and equipped prescribed burn contractor, as well as trained Village staff. Burn permits are secured through the Illinois EPA upon review of a written burn plan specific to each site. A copy of the plan is filed with the local fire department, and the local fire department is notified prior to and upon completion of the prescribed burn on the day of the burn.