A prescribed burn is scheduled to take place on 22 acres in Copperas Branch Park in Highland Village between March 19 -21, weather permitting.
This burn is part of numerous projects to restore the park to its beauty and reopen the park to public access. In September 2013, Copperas Branch Park was closed and used as construction staging area for the expansion of I-35 East. Five years without maintenance has led to substantial overgrowth in this area, according to city officials.
The operations will be coordinated by city officials in partnership with neighboring fire department agencies. Conditions will be closely monitored as to not affect public health and safety. The public will see numerous fire department vehicles and smoke in the area and are asked to avoid the area for safety.
The prescribed burn is a part of wildland management designed to restore this natural resource with vital nutrients and reduce dangerous fire threats. These carefully applied fires are an important tool to help restore and maintain vital habitat for wildlife and plants.
