Smoke From Horicon Marsh Fire Seen Miles Away

If you saw a large plume of black smoke to our south yesterday and were wondering what was burning, you weren’t alone. The smoke from a prescribed 800 acre cattail burn in the Horicon Marsh could be seen for miles around.

The DNR burns areas of the marsh each spring as weather conditions allow for several reasons. It reduces the chance for wildfires by removing excess
dead plant material. the burns also support healthy ecosystems for an abundance of plants and animals that use the marsh. Buildup of dead vegetation if left unchecked
can block natural waterways which are also nessecary for waterfowl to feed and nest.

The DNR does the prescribed burns in late winter to take advantage of wet conditions and frozen ground, which reduces the heat and intensity of cattail marsh burns.
It also ensures areas are burned before waterfowl begin nesting in the areas.

The smoke plume was so large it could easily be seen on National Weather Service radar and ash from the cattail burn fell as far away as Montello in Marquette County.

So far this burn season, the DNR has burned over 3000 acres in wildlife areas in the state.