National Park Service to conduct prescribed fires

BRECKSVILLE, Ohio-The National Park Service (NPS) will conduct prescribed fires at four locations in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, when conditions allow, between October 1, 2025, and April 30, 2026. NPS employees plan prescribed fires both to improve natural habitat and to protect surrounding communities. These fires will burn invasive plant species, create good soil conditions for native seeds, maintain habitats, and reduce hazardous fuels that threaten local residents with fire hazards. NPS will burn a total area of approximately 198 acres.

The first prescribed fire will burn approximately 40 acres at the site of the former Richfield Coliseum, along Rt. 303 near the I-271 interchange. The second prescribed burn will cover an approximately 129-acre section of Terra Vista Natural Study Area in Valley View (northeast of the intersection of Canal and Tinkers Creek roads). The third burn will take place in a 13-acre area in Boston Township off Boston Mills Road just south of Interstate 80. The fourth burn will occur at the Brookside Wetland near Pleasant Valley Road in Independence. In addition, the park intends to burn brush piles created from removing pine plantations, as a first step toward the future restoration of native forests at the park. These brush piles are located south of Major Road across from Horseshoe Pond in Peninsula.

NPS previously conducted prescribed burns in 2017 and 2021 at the Terra Vista location, in 2021 at the Boston Township location and in 2022 at the former Richfield Coliseum site. Cuyahoga Valley's overall long-term ecosystem management plan uses planned periodic fires to reduce hazardous fuels. This helps the park to control potential wildfires, which helps protect surrounding communities.

Trained and experienced NPS fire personnel conduct the prescribed fire program at Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Due to the safety hazards of smoke dispersal, park staff will monitor wind and atmospheric conditions prior to ignitions to limit smoke in the area. However, smoke drifting in and around park lands and roadways is always possible.

Before the park ignites an area, employees check that a set of conditions exists for a safe prescribed burn. Conditions include ideal air temperature, wind speed and direction, and relative humidity. Burns will occur any time between October 1, 2025, and April 30, 2026, on days when the right conditions exist. That is why it is not possible to schedule the exact date ahead of time. Throughout the duration of the burn, NPS employees will continue to monitor weather conditions to ensure public safety.

Find out more about fire management in Cuyahoga Valley National Park on our website.

CVNP encompasses 33,000 acres along the Cuyahoga River between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio. Managed by the National Park Service, CVNP combines cultural, historical, recreational, and natural resources in one setting. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/cuva, on Facebook, X, or Instagram, or call 440-717-3890.

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