Smoke rising over training ranges at Fort McCoy this spring marks the return of a carefully planned and increasingly important operation: prescribed burning.

The installation’s 2026 burn season began March 24 on North Post ranges, with crews continuing operations over several days as conditions allowed. The effort is ongoing through the spring, conducted in phases when weather, humidity, and ground conditions align for safe and effective burns. This year’s operations also reflect expanded coordination with the U.S. Forest Service, bringing together dozens of personnel alongside Fort McCoy Fire Department crews and natural resources staff.

While prescribed fire supports military readiness by maintaining safe and usable training lands, officials say its deeper value lies in how it sustains the region’s natural landscape.

“There are many ecological benefits to prescribed burning,” said Kevin Luepke, wildlife biologist with Fort McCoy’s Directorate of Public Works Environmental Division Natural Resources Branch.

Luepke said one of the most immediate impacts is reducing fuel loading across the installation. “Prescribed burning removes dead vegetation like leaves, pine needles, twigs, branches, and grasses from previous years,” he said. “That reduces wildfire risk because the vegetation that comes back is green and full of water, which doesn’t burn as easily.”

Beyond reducing fire danger, Luepke emphasized that much of Fort McCoy’s landscape is naturally dependent on fire. Oak savanna, pine barrens, and prairie ecosystems have evolved with periodic burning, and without it, they begin to decline.

“The habitat here is fire-dependent,” Luepke said. “Most of the native plants, grasses, shrubs, and trees rely on fire to thrive. Without it, you start to see fire-intolerant species become more abundant.”

He pointed to species such as jack pine and wild lupine as examples of plants that rely on fire to reproduce. “Some of these species need heat from fire to open pinecones or break seed coats so germination can occur,” he said.

Prescribed burning also plays a role in controlling invasive species, which are often less tolerant of fire. “Periodic fire helps keep invasive plants in check by killing them or reducing the seed that was spread the previous year,” Luepke said. “In some cases, it also supports our biocontrol efforts because those insects need exposed soil to complete their life cycles. Burning removes the leaf litter and allows that process to continue.”

The benefits extend to wildlife across the installation. Luepke said the new growth that follows a burn is especially valuable.

“The regrowth after a prescribed burn is highly preferred by wildlife,” he said. “You get nectar-producing plants that butterflies depend on, grasses and forbs that provide nesting cover for birds, and tender woody vegetation that deer use for browse.”

Even trees affected by fire contribute to the ecosystem over time. “Some mature trees may be damaged during a burn, but that creates opportunities for other species,” Luepke said. “Those trees can be used by woodpeckers, and when they eventually die, they provide habitat for bats, raccoons, squirrels, wood ducks, and other cavity-nesting wildlife.”

Fire also helps return nutrients to the soil.

“When vegetation burns, it creates ash that acts as a natural fertilizer,” Luepke said. “It’s rich in potassium and other nutrients that help native plants grow back.”

In addition, prescribed burning can have public health benefits by reducing tick populations. “Fire can kill ticks in all life stages—adults, nymphs, and eggs,” Luepke said. “That can help reduce tick-borne illnesses in those areas.”

As burns continue across Fort McCoy this spring, officials stress that each operation is carefully planned and monitored. Temporary closures may occur in affected areas, but the long-term impact is a healthier, more resilient landscape.

For Luepke, the purpose of prescribed fire is straightforward.

“Fire promotes renewal,” he said. “It keeps these systems functioning the way they’re supposed to.”

Fort McCoy’s motto beginning in 2026 is “Training the Total Force and Shaping the Future since 1909.”

The installation’s mission: “Fort McCoy strengthens Total Force Readiness by serving as a training center, Mobilization Force Generation Installation, and Strategic Support Area enabling warfighter lethality to deploy, fight, and win our nation’s wars.”

And Fort McCoy’s vision is, “To be the premier training center supporting the most capable, combat-ready, and lethal armed forces.”

Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin. The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984.

Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortmccoywi, and on X (formerly Twitter) by searching “usagmccoy.” Also try downloading the My Army Post app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base. Fort McCoy is also part of Army’s Installation Management Command where “We Are The Army’s Home.”

Members of the U.S. Forest Service and the Fort McCoy...

Members of the U.S. Forest Service and the Fort McCoy...

Members of the U.S. Forest Service and the Fort McCoy...

Members of the U.S. Forest Service and the Fort McCoy...

Members of the U.S. Forest Service and the Fort McCoy...

Members of the U.S. Forest Service and the Fort McCoy...

Members of the U.S. Forest Service and the Fort McCoy...

Members of the U.S. Forest Service and the Fort McCoy...

Members of the U.S. Forest Service and the Fort McCoy...

Members of the U.S. Forest Service and the Fort McCoy...

Members of the U.S. Forest Service and the Fort McCoy prescribed burn team oversee a prescribed burn April 7, 2026, at a range area on North Post at Fort McCoy, Wis. The post prescribed burn team includes personnel with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Emergency Services Fire Department; Directorate of Public Works (DPW) Environmental Division Natural Resources Branch; Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security; and the Colorado State University Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands, under contract with the post. Prescribed burns also improve wildlife habitat, control invasive plant species, restore and maintain native plant communities, and reduce wildfire potential. Prescribed burns benefit the environment many ways and are one of the tools that can be used on a large scale to improve wild habitat. Natural resources management officials say prescribed burns help set back invasive species, and they burn up their seed banks. Burns also give native species an opportunity to compete against some of the non-native species, as many native species depend on fire to help stimulate them and set back non-native species. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office)

Members of the U.S. Forest Service and the Fort McCoy prescribed burn team oversee a prescribed burn April 7, 2026, at a range area on North Post at Fort McCoy, Wis. The post prescribed burn team includes personnel with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Emergency Services Fire Department; Directorate of Public Works (DPW) Environmental Division Natural Resources Branch; Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security; and the Colorado State University Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands, under contract with the post. Prescribed burns also improve wildlife habitat, control invasive plant species, restore and maintain native plant communities, and reduce wildfire potential. Prescribed burns benefit the environment many ways and are one of the tools that can be used on a large scale to improve wild habitat. Natural resources management officials say prescribed burns help set back invasive species, and they burn up their seed banks. Burns also give native species an opportunity to compete against some of the non-native species, as many native species depend on fire to help stimulate them and set back non-native species. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office)

Members of the U.S. Forest Service and the Fort McCoy prescribed burn team oversee a prescribed burn April 7, 2026, at a range area on North Post at Fort McCoy, Wis. The post prescribed burn team includes personnel with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Emergency Services Fire Department; Directorate of Public Works (DPW) Environmental Division Natural Resources Branch; Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security; and the Colorado State University Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands, under contract with the post. Prescribed burns also improve wildlife habitat, control invasive plant species, restore and maintain native plant communities, and reduce wildfire potential. Prescribed burns benefit the environment many ways and are one of the tools that can be used on a large scale to improve wild habitat. Natural resources management officials say prescribed burns help set back invasive species, and they burn up their seed banks. Burns also give native species an opportunity to compete against some of the non-native species, as many native species depend on fire to help stimulate them and set back non-native species. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office)

Members of the U.S. Forest Service and the Fort McCoy prescribed burn team oversee a prescribed burn April 7, 2026, at a range area on North Post at Fort McCoy, Wis. The post prescribed burn team includes personnel with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Emergency Services Fire Department; Directorate of Public Works (DPW) Environmental Division Natural Resources Branch; Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security; and the Colorado State University Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands, under contract with the post. Prescribed burns also improve wildlife habitat, control invasive plant species, restore and maintain native plant communities, and reduce wildfire potential. Prescribed burns benefit the environment many ways and are one of the tools that can be used on a large scale to improve wild habitat. Natural resources management officials say prescribed burns help set back invasive species, and they burn up their seed banks. Burns also give native species an opportunity to compete against some of the non-native species, as many native species depend on fire to help stimulate them and set back non-native species. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office)

Members of the U.S. Forest Service and the Fort McCoy prescribed burn team oversee a prescribed burn April 7, 2026, at a range area on North Post at Fort McCoy, Wis. The post prescribed burn team includes personnel with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Emergency Services Fire Department; Directorate of Public Works (DPW) Environmental Division Natural Resources Branch; Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security; and the Colorado State University Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands, under contract with the post. Prescribed burns also improve wildlife habitat, control invasive plant species, restore and maintain native plant communities, and reduce wildfire potential. Prescribed burns benefit the environment many ways and are one of the tools that can be used on a large scale to improve wild habitat. Natural resources management officials say prescribed burns help set back invasive species, and they burn up their seed banks. Burns also give native species an opportunity to compete against some of the non-native species, as many native species depend on fire to help stimulate them and set back non-native species. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office)

Members of the U.S. Forest Service and the Fort McCoy prescribed burn team oversee a prescribed burn April 7, 2026, at a range area on North Post at Fort McCoy, Wis. The post prescribed burn team includes personnel with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Emergency Services Fire Department; Directorate of Public Works (DPW) Environmental Division Natural Resources Branch; Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security; and the Colorado State University Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands, under contract with the post. Prescribed burns also improve wildlife habitat, control invasive plant species, restore and maintain native plant communities, and reduce wildfire potential. Prescribed burns benefit the environment many ways and are one of the tools that can be used on a large scale to improve wild habitat. Natural resources management officials say prescribed burns help set back invasive species, and they burn up their seed banks. Burns also give native species an opportunity to compete against some of the non-native species, as many native species depend on fire to help stimulate them and set back non-native species. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office)

Members of the U.S. Forest Service and the Fort McCoy prescribed burn team oversee a prescribed burn April 7, 2026, at a range area on North Post at Fort McCoy, Wis. The post prescribed burn team includes personnel with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Emergency Services Fire Department; Directorate of Public Works (DPW) Environmental Division Natural Resources Branch; Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security; and the Colorado State University Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands, under contract with the post. Prescribed burns also improve wildlife habitat, control invasive plant species, restore and maintain native plant communities, and reduce wildfire potential. Prescribed burns benefit the environment many ways and are one of the tools that can be used on a large scale to improve wild habitat. Natural resources management officials say prescribed burns help set back invasive species, and they burn up their seed banks. Burns also give native species an opportunity to compete against some of the non-native species, as many native species depend on fire to help stimulate them and set back non-native species. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office)

Members of the U.S. Forest Service and the Fort McCoy prescribed burn team oversee a prescribed burn April 7, 2026, at a range area on North Post at Fort McCoy, Wis. The post prescribed burn team includes personnel with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Emergency Services Fire Department; Directorate of Public Works (DPW) Environmental Division Natural Resources Branch; Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security; and the Colorado State University Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands, under contract with the post. Prescribed burns also improve wildlife habitat, control invasive plant species, restore and maintain native plant communities, and reduce wildfire potential. Prescribed burns benefit the environment many ways and are one of the tools that can be used on a large scale to improve wild habitat. Natural resources management officials say prescribed burns help set back invasive species, and they burn up their seed banks. Burns also give native species an opportunity to compete against some of the non-native species, as many native species depend on fire to help stimulate them and set back non-native species. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office)

Members of the U.S. Forest Service and the Fort McCoy prescribed burn team oversee a prescribed burn April 7, 2026, at a range area on North Post at Fort McCoy, Wis. The post prescribed burn team includes personnel with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Emergency Services Fire Department; Directorate of Public Works (DPW) Environmental Division Natural Resources Branch; Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security; and the Colorado State University Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands, under contract with the post. Prescribed burns also improve wildlife habitat, control invasive plant species, restore and maintain native plant communities, and reduce wildfire potential. Prescribed burns benefit the environment many ways and are one of the tools that can be used on a large scale to improve wild habitat. Natural resources management officials say prescribed burns help set back invasive species, and they burn up their seed banks. Burns also give native species an opportunity to compete against some of the non-native species, as many native species depend on fire to help stimulate them and set back non-native species. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office)

Members of the U.S. Forest Service and the Fort McCoy prescribed burn team oversee a prescribed burn April 7, 2026, at a range area on North Post at Fort McCoy, Wis. The post prescribed burn team includes personnel with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Emergency Services Fire Department; Directorate of Public Works (DPW) Environmental Division Natural Resources Branch; Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security; and the Colorado State University Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands, under contract with the post. Prescribed burns also improve wildlife habitat, control invasive plant species, restore and maintain native plant communities, and reduce wildfire potential. Prescribed burns benefit the environment many ways and are one of the tools that can be used on a large scale to improve wild habitat. Natural resources management officials say prescribed burns help set back invasive species, and they burn up their seed banks. Burns also give native species an opportunity to compete against some of the non-native species, as many native species depend on fire to help stimulate them and set back non-native species. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office)