The Department of Natural Resources will conduct a controlled burn today at Hoosier Prairie Nature Preserve.

Since smoke from the burning sometimes creates a visual hazard for motorists, local officials will close Main Street between Wiggs Street in Griffith and Kennedy Avenue during parts of the operation.

Hoosier Prairie is a large tract maintained by the DNR Division of Nature Preserves. It contains prairie, oak savanna and marsh habitats on both sides of Main Street in Griffith, Schereville and Highland.

The DNR conducts the burning each spring and fall in order to preserve the area’s rare prairie/savanna habitat, which requires sunny, open conditions. Without the fires, trees and plants more common to other areas eventually would crowd out and eliminate rare prairie and savanna plants and habitat.

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Media contact: Lee Casebere, Division of Nature Preserves, (317) 232-4053; Marty Benson, public information officer, (317) 233-3853, cell (317) 696-9812.

Media Contact:
Lee Casebere, Division of Nature Preserves, (317) 232-4053; Marty Benson, public information officer, (317) 233-3853, cell (317) 696-9812